HTITLE
INTRODUCTION?INDEXdUSABOOKS!	FEATURESπ
FINANCIALÖ	MEDICINE$
	POLITICSÄSCIENCEƒLATIN AMERICAEUROPESCIS├ASIAⁿAFRICAy!MIDDLE EAST≡$1'2523▄84┼?5D6üM7^8Γb9.h10½t11Në12ç₧13·½14>╕15─16σ╠17└┌18δ19╫⌡20╙ⁿ21$22c23ñ24Ç&25├+26╟527┬?28çE29dJ30S31AX32┌a33╚i34}35ƒå36î37╪ÿ38gí39ª40U▒41é╜42≡╟43
╬44F╓45½█46Aτ47yφ48J≥49≈50251╙
52{53#54')55V356╕;57H58R59 c60Jp61╪x62!~63rê64ô65ó66¡67]╢68º╛697╠70	╤71É┘72}Γ73πδ74;±7576ï77Σ78║ 79╙(80i/81╚:82(K83²P84O]85üb86l87▐p88z89¬ü90àå91ïï929æ93Wù94\ñ95N½96,│97ß┬98^╩99Q╘100hπ101?∩102┬ⁿ103ù104105|106╦-107;108ZL109╜X110[^111≡g112⌐q113ïü114kê115└Æ116S£117ßú118╣┤119ê╞120;╥121ëΓ122Y⌡123ä124
125T'126o-127 =128█K129U130k131ⁿv132╝}133┌î134₧135u«136╨╢137╝┐138^╞139m╬1405Σ141^°142░143H1442145*&146ö2147`>SUBINFO3NENDⁿ^:INTERNATIONAL NEWS E-WIRE SERVICE WEEKLY WEEK OF 11/21/949                INTERNATIONAL NEWS E-WIRE SERVICE WEEKLY.                            DISTRIBUTE FREELY.                             WEEK OF 11/21/941INFO/GENERAL INFO ON INEWS DAILY - INEWS@AOL.COM5TO REACH EDITOR ------------------ INEWSEDIT@AOL.COM$CLICK THE INDEX BUTTON FOR THE MENU.UNITED STATES,USA.LATIN AMERICA,LATIN AMERICA.EUROPE,EUROPE.RUSSIA  FORMER REPUBLICS,CIS.ASIA,ASIA.AFRICA,AFRICA.MIDDLE EAST,MIDDLE EAST .INEWS DAILY FREE TRIAL,SUBINFOUNITED STATES        \BOOKS\BOOKS\+        \FEATURES-CURRENT EVENTS\FEATURES\/        \FINANCIAL-ECONOMY-BUSINESS\FINANCIAL\        \MEDICINE\MEDICINE\        \POLITICS\POLITICS\%        \SCIENCE-TECHNOLOGY\SCIENCE\.           CLICK TRACK TO RETURN TO THIS MENUBOOKS&   \"THE ARMS PRODUCTION DILEMMA"\77\>   \"BODY & SOUL" HEALTH CARE FOR AFRICAN-AMERICAN WOMEN\132\'   \"GRAND AVENUE" BY GREG SARRIS\145\.           CLICK TRACK TO RETURN TO THIS MENUFEATURES-CURRENT EVENTS"   \EFFECTS OF WAR ON CHILDREN\1\K   \COURT-MARTIAL RECOMMENDED IN SHOOTDOWN OF U.S. HELICOPTERS IN IRAQ\44\,   \CATHOLIC BISHOPS MEET IN WASHINGTON\54\=   \U.S. OFFICIALS TRY TO IMPROVE CHINA AIRLINES' SAFETY\55\6   \U.S. OFFICER TO HEAD UN PEACEKEEPERS IN HAITI\61\5   \CLINTON VISIT AMERICAN/FILIPINO WAR MEMORIAL\83\?   \THE WEEKLY WORLD NEWS-WRITES WHAT PEOPLE LIKE TO READ\144\   \SAFE IS SEXY: IN CARS\147\+   \STIFFER RULES FOR COMMUTER PLANES\129\#   \A VEGETARIAN THANKSGIVING\133\"   \HOMEOWNER'S ASSOCIATIONS\134\    \CAB CALLOWAY 1907-1994\146\>   \U.S. DEPT. OF DEFENSE INVESTIGATES MILITARY SUICIDES\111\.           CLICK TRACK TO RETURN TO THIS MENUFINANCIAL-ECONOMY-BUSINESS   \U.S. INFLATION\45\4   \REACTION TO INCREASE IN U.S. INTEREST RATES\46\)   \BENTSEN SPEAKS ON INTEREST RATES\53\   \GROWTH INVESTING\99\   \SONY'S MONEY WOES\128\   \U.S. TRADE DEFICIT\131\   \WHAT FOREIGN DEBT?\140\   \GM TRUCK DISPUTE\26\G   \U.S. EXECUTIVE SAYS AMERICA IS BEHIND IN INVESTING IN VIETNAM\119\.           CLICK TRACK TO RETURN TO THIS MENU	MEDICINE&   \MARIJUANA MEDICAL USE PROTEST\67\-   \REAGAN RAISES ALZHEIMER'S AWARENESS\105\   \ALZHEIMER'S EYE TEST\107\4   \IMPROVE YOUR CHANCES OF SUCCESSFUL SURGERY\121\J   \CHOLESTEROL LOWERING DRUGS MAY CHANGE TREATMENT OF HEART DISEASE\135\C   \POST-MENOPAUSAL HORMONE TREATMENT TO REDUCE HEART DISEASE\136\H   \SOLUTION TO IODINE DEFICIENCIES THAT CAUSES MENTAL IMPAIRMENTS\137\2   \COW CELL IMPLANTS TO RELIVE CHRONIC PAIN\138\K   \BABIES FEED FORMULA MORE LIKELY TO HAVE MINOR BRAIN ABNORMALITIES\141\:   \OREGON VOTERS APPROVE PHYSICIAN-ASSISTED SUICIDE\142\.           CLICK TRACK TO RETURN TO THIS MENU	POLITICS3   \READY OR NOT? THE STATE OF U.S ARMS FORCES\13\(   \ELECTION 94:  BLACK REPUBLICANS\98\9   \PROFILE: JC WATTS, BLACK REPUBLICAN CONGRESSMAN\101\!   \U.S. CONGRESS TRANSITION\23\*   \FIRST STAGE U.S. PULLOUT OF HAITI\91\I   \CLINTON SAYS FOREIGN POLICY WILL NOT BE CHANGED BY NEXT CONGRESS\84\=   \POSSIBLE CHANGE IN U.S. POLICY TOWARD CUBAN REFUGEES\31\A   \PANETTA DISREGARDS HELMS' REQUEST FOR DELAY ON GATT VOTE\37\    \SENATE HEARINGS ON GATT\59\   \U.S. PRESIDENTIAL RACE\81\=   \U.S. SUNDAY MORNING POLITICS AFTER MID-TERM ELECTION\93\#   \MEXICO REACTS TO PROP 187\110\7   \POLITICAL ROADKILL ON THE INFORMATION HIGHWAY\112\,   \JAMES BAKER ON U.S. FOREIGN POLICY\123\   \THE BAPTIST DIVIDE\139\7   \CLINTON AIDES MEET WITH NEW REPUBLICAN LEADERS\56\F   \REPORT SAYS FREE SPEECH IN MIAMI CUBAN COMMUNITY IS IN DANGER\68\6   \U.S STATE DEPARTMENT REPORT ON THE MOJAHEDIN\106\   \GOP BUSINESS AGENDA\120\D   \DOLE SAYS HE IS CLOSE TO AN AGREEMENT WITH CLINTON ON GATT\127\.           CLICK TRACK TO RETURN TO THIS MENUSCIENCE-TECHNOLOGY    \GENETIC RESEARCH PROTEST\6\3   \ADVANCED RADAR HELPING TO SAVE RAIN FOREST\94\;   \GREEN GOLD: THE RACE FOR ENVIRONMENTAL TECHNOLOGY\117\)   \TRACKING SEX OFFENDERS WITH DNA\118\+   \U.S. SOFTWARE DOMINATES THE WORLD\130\B   \NEW DINOSAUR DISCOVERY MAY CHANGE CONTINENT DRIFT THEORY\143\.           CLICK TRACK TO RETURN TO THIS MENULATIN AMERICA    \HONDURAN STREET CHILDREN\9\,   \VATICAN HIGH OFFICIAL TO VISIT CUBA\48\"   \CEDRAS IN EXILE IN PANAMA\36\K   \MEXICAN ATTORNEY GENERAL CITES INTERFERENCE OF ASSASSINATION PROBE\32\*   \THE CUBA-HAITI REFUGEE DIFFERENCE\16\%   \URUGUAY ELECTION SCENESETTER\18\'   \PRINCE ANDREW VISITS ARGENTINA\72\B   \PLANS FOR A NEW OCEAN TO OCEAN WATERWAY IN SOUTH AMERICA\103\C   \MEXICO'S PRI PARTY EXPEL MEMBERS ACCUSED IN ASSASSINATION\125\$   \COSTA RICA BUDGET PROBLEMS\108\5   \VENEZUELA CONSIDERS USING THE DEATH PENALTY\115\.           CLICK TRACK TO RETURN TO THIS MENUEUROPE.   \CZECHOSLOVAK ANNIVERSARY COMMEMORATION\4\1   \FORMER EAST BLOC SPY SENTENCED IN GERMANY\8\G   \NORTHERN IRELAND PEACE PROCESS IN WAKE OF REYNOLDS RESIGNATION\12\(   \DIVISIONS IN THE EUROPEAN UNION\96\2   \VATICAN ANNOUNCE POPE WILL TRAVEL TO ASIA\38\1   \EU TO END AUTOMATIC SUBSIDIES TO FARMERS\24\'   \BOSNIA SEEKS U.N. INTERVENTION\19\&   \KOHL RE-ELECTED AS CHANCELLOR\60\'   \NATO ASSEMBLY DEBATE EXPANSION\70\*   \SWEDISH EU ELECTION NIGHT RESULTS\88\F   \A NON-GOVERNMENTAL ORGANIZATION'S REPORT ON DRUGS ENFORCEMENT\97\8   \REPORT SAYS EU AID TO EASTERN EUROPE WAS WASTED\57\1   \PRAGUE GETS A NEW ENGLISH LANGUAGE DAILY\71\:   \DISPUTE BETWEEN GREECE AND TURKEY OVER AEGEAN SEA\86\=   \U.S. SIGNS DEFENSE COOPERATION ACCORD WITH MACEDONIA\92\B   \FILM QUESTIONS OFFICIAL EXPLANATION OF LOCKERBIE BOMBING\124\.           CLICK TRACK TO RETURN TO THIS MENURUSSIA/FORMER SOVIET REPUBLICS!   \BREAD SHORTAGE IN GEORGIA\7\&   \U.S./RUSSIA SPACE COOPERATION\17\A   \RUSSIAN ANALYSTS PREDICT U.S./RUSSIAN RELATION WILL COOL\40\K   \250 ELDERLY PEOPLE KILLED FOR THEIR APARTMENTS THIS YEAR IN RUSSIA\41\:   \UKRAINE APPROVES NUCLEAR NON-PROLIFERATION TREATY\47\4   \KYRGYZSTAN TO PRIVATIZE AGRICULTURAL SECTOR\80\+   \RUSSIA DENIES ARMING BOSNIAN SERBS\87\(   \PRISONER EXCHANGE IN TAJIKISTAN\89\$   \LEAK IN RUSSIAN OIL PIPELINE\5\0   \WORLD BANK LENDS 110 MILLION TO RUSSIA\116\.           CLICK TRACK TO RETURN TO THIS MENUASIAG   \CHINA DENIES ITS SWIMMERS ARE USING PERFORMANCE ENHANCING DRUGS\2\C   \CHINESE OFFICIAL REJECTS ANY FUTURE U.S MILITARY IN VIETNAM\3\D   \TAIWANESE OPPOSITION PARTY STARTS ITS OWN PIRATE TV STATION\15\   \HONG KONG TRAFFIC\100\*   \TAIWAN SHELLING OF MAINLAND CHINA\76\,   \INDIA PROMISES ELECTIONS IN KASHMIR\63\(   \CAMBODIA'S NEW FOREIGN MINISTER\20\   \CHINESE ECONOMIC NEWS\21\>   \CHINA'S COMMUNIST PARTY START SELF-PROMOTION CAMPAIGN\22\   \IAEA/N.KOREA TALKS\28\D   \NORTH KOREA SEEKS TO RESTART NORMALIZATION TALKS WITH JAPAN\29\9   \PAKISTAN PRIME MINISTER LASHES OUT AT OPPOSITION\34\0   \TAIWAN POLICY CHANGE ON TRAVEL TO CHINA\43\   \APEC DECLARATION\52\E   \HONG KONG GOVERNOR PREDICTS DEMOCRATIC REFORMS UNDER CHINESE\62\'   \INDONESIA'S MULTI-ETHNIC PRIDE\64\9   \CHINA AND U.S. FAIL TO RESOLVE TRADE DIFFERENCES\82\$   \CORREGIDOR: THE OLD AND NEW\85\$   \JAPANESE TRADE SURPLUS DOWN\78\,   \U.S./PHILIPPINES EXTRADITION TREATY\90\D   \SEPARATIST SAYS KASHMIR'S FUTURE WILL BE DECIDED BY THE GUN\66\G   \CHINESE GOVERNMENT ISSUE WARNING OVER NEPOTISM AMONG OFFICIALS\95\.           CLICK TRACK TO RETURN TO THIS MENUAFRICA*   \NELSON MANDELA'S FIRST SIX MONTHS\11\@   \NELSON MANDELA'S FIRST SIX MONTHS - FOREIGN INVESTMENT\126\+   \SOUTH AFRICAN LAND RESTITUTION LAW\14\   \SOMALIA STALEMATE\74\;   \NIGERIAN MILITARY LEADER ABACHA 1 YEAR ANNIVERSARY\33\    \SIERRA LEONE ABDUCTIONS\42\(   \HOUSE MEMBERS VISIT WEST AFRICA\49\D   \AMNESTY CRITICIZES TRIAL OF FORMER KENYAN PARLIAMENT MEMBER\50\F   \A HUMAN RIGHTS GROUP CALLS FOR AN ARMS EMBARGO AGAINST ANGOLA\51\3   \UN EXTENDS MOZAMBIQUE PEACEKEEPING MISSION\69\.   \SIGNS OF UPCOMING FIGHTING IN SOMALIA\75\;   \ZIMBABWE FARMERS LOSE LAND BATTLE WITH GOVERNMENT\102\5   \SUDAN CONDEMNED FOR USING BOYS IN CIVIL WAR\113\&   \RWANDA AND THE U.N. TRIBUNAL\114\1   \FRENCH RELIEF AGENCY PULLS OUT OF RWANDA\79\:   \EGYPTIAN GOVERNMENT OUTLINES FLOOD RELIEF PROGRAM\25\"   \EGYPTIAN FLOODS AFTERMATH\58\.           CLICK TRACK TO RETURN TO THIS MENUMIDDLE EAST@   \ISRAELI RIGHTS GROUP CALL FOR CHANGES IN INTERROGATIONS\10\8   \HUSSEIN WARNS OPPONENTS OF JORDAN-ISRAEL TREATY\27\(   \UN ON IRAQ'S KUWAIT RECOGNITION\30\H   \RABIN SAYS SYRIA'S PRESIDENT IS NOT SERIOUS ABOUT SEEKING PEACE\39\,   \RABIN VISIT SITE OF BOMBING IN GAZA\73\   \MIDDLE EAST ECONOMY\104\%   \OUTBREAK OF CHOLERA IN GAZA\109\.   \ISRAEL AND JORDAN TOMATO COOPERATION\122\%   \PALESTINIAN INDEPENDENCE DAY\35\I   \ISRAEL TURNS OVER CONTROL OF TOURISM AND WELFARE TO PALESTINIANS\65\.           CLICK TRACK TO RETURN TO THIS MENU   ---------------   EFFECTS OF WAR ON CHILDREN   ANDRE DE NESNERA
   LONDONB   The London-based "Save the Children" organization has issued a@report unveiling disturbing statistics about the effects of war
on children.=   The report says that during the past ten years, more than9one-and-a-half million children have been killed in wars>worldwide.  During that same time, four-million children have)been disabled, maimed, or brain-damaged.B   Terry Waite, former envoy for the Archbishop of Canterbury and=a former hostage in Beirut, released the report on behalf of"Save the Children.";   He says the study indicates over the past years, modernAwarfare techniques have become much more vicious , and civilians!have increasingly been targeted:>   "Out of every ten people who are killed or injured in war,Bnine, believe it or not, are civilians.  Out of that nine, a high<proportion are children.  So there is only one professional>soldier in ten who is killed, the rest are civilians.  So the?nature of warfare is changed and the people who are paying theBprice of this are innocent civilians, and the ones who are really$suffering dreadfully are children."?   The report also says hundreds of thousands of children have?been forced to become soldiers, often kidnapped and trained tokill.)   Mr. Waite describes one such example::   "I was watching a video that was produced by 'Save the=Children.'  A youngster of no more than ten years of age wasAbeing interviewed.  He was holding a huge automatic machine-gun.=He said, 'oh yes, I've killed two people.'  'Who were they?'?'Well they were rebels', you know, what sort of life is that.";   "Save the Children" says ten-million children carry the@emotional scars of wartime experiences.  Many of them have seenBmembers of their families killed or raped, and their homes burnedto the ground.@   Mr. Waite says some of the most horrific injuries are causedby landmines:=   "These mines are particularly designed not necessarily toBkill, but to main, and often they are disguised so they look like?a stone or a bottle-cap or what have you. A child wandering atAwill, will come across one of these, either tread on one or pick@it up and immediately suffers the most appalling injuries, loss@of limbs or blinded, permanently maimed.  There are millions ofAthese mines.  In Angola, I believe it is estimated that there is7at least one mine for every member of the population."=   "Save the Children" is a charity which rescues, feeds and?shelters children suffering in wars or natural disasters.  Mr.BWaite says the report was issued to bring to the attention of the0public the horrific effects of war on children.@   But Mr. Waite also says it is time to take a long, hard look>at the world's arms industry and take measures to curtail theflow of arms worldwide.   ---------------   ---------------C   CHINA DENIES ITS SWIMMERS ARE USING PERFORMANCE ENHANCING DRUGS   DAVID DYAR   BEIJING1   China Thursday denied its swimmers have takenBperformance-enhancing drugs to ensure their wins at internationalathletic competitions.=   China's foreign ministry spokesman Thursday was asked hisBreaction to reports that one of the country's top swimmers testedpositive for steroids.A   Spokesman Shen Guofang dismissed the test results in comments*to reporters at his weekly news briefing.<   Shen noted Chinese athletes have all taken drug tests at%international athletic competitions.>   "The results of these tests are that the athletes have not=taken illegal drugs.  The scores of China's swimmers are the>result of their hard training instead of their taking illegaldrugs."B   One of China's top women swimmers, Yang Aihua, tested positive>for steroids in random out-of-competition tests prior to last@month's Asian games.  The tests were taken by the internationalswimming federation.@   Officials of the federation say she may be forced to give up+the gold medal she won at the Asian Games.@   She earlier won the women's 400 meter freestyle at the world%swimming championships in September.?   Officials in the federation say five other Chinese swimmers<have had positive tests in the past year.  However, medical<authorities say the tests are not conclusive on whether the1substances were natural agents or illegal drugs.<   China has dominated the women's swimming event in recent@years. At the last world championships in Rome Chinese swimmersAwon 12 of 16 titles.  The women set five world records, but none+of the athletes failed drug tests at rome.   ---------------   ---------------?   CHINESE OFFICIAL REJECTS ANY FUTURE U.S MILITARY IN VIETNAM   DAVID DYAR   BEIJING?   China Thursday said it opposes any military presence of theUnited States in Vietnam.<   A Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Thursday reacted toBcomments made by a senior American military officer on a possible*future U.S. military presence in Vietnam.>   U.S. Admiral Richard Macke said he cannot not rule out theApossibility of Vietnam and the United States discussing military@cooperation that might allow the United States access rights toCam Ranh Bay Naval Base.?   The admiral, who is head of American forces in the Pacific,Btold reporters after a tour of Vietnam that such talks could only9take place after Vietnam and the United States normalizerelations.B   Chinese spokesman Shen Guofang expressed his opposition to the6idea of American military presence in southeast Asia:A   "We welcome the normalization of relations between the UnitedBStates and Vietnam.  We believe such a normalization will have to=preserve peace and stability in this region.  Second, we are8opposed to any countries establishing military bases or$stationing troops on foreign soil."B   The United States has been seeking rights to position military:supply ships in southeast Asia for possible deployment inBemergencies to send to trouble spots in the Middle East and otherplaces.>   Vietnam has rejected suggestions in the past that it might=allow United States forces to return in some capacity to thenaval base.>   However, Vietnam and China are now locked in a territorialAdispute over islands in the South China Sea where both countriesare drilling for oil.A   China's president is scheduled to travel to Vietnam this weekfor a state visit.   ---------------   ---------------*   CZECHOSLOVAK ANNIVERSARY COMMEMORATION   BARRY WOOD
   PRAGUE?   The fifth anniversary of the peaceful velvet revolution was0commemorated Thursday in Prague and Bratislava.=   In Prague, there were wreath layings and solemn speeches.BPresident Vaclav Havel and Prime Minister Vaclav Klaus separately;spoke to student groups. President Havel said the economicAtransformation was proceeding better than had been expected. ButAhe worried about the spiritual and moral state of Czech society.=Crime, he said, is on the rise and many people think freedommeans they can do anything.>   In Bratislava, President Michal Kovac earlier recalled the@1989 revolution and appealed for politicians to put aside their8differences and work for the good of the Slovak nation.:   On Thursday, student demonstrations took place in both:Bratislava and Kosice. The demonstrators protested recentArestrictions on free speech and what they see as a drift towards:totalitarianism. Six weeks after parliamentary elections,/Slovakia still does not have a new government.   ---------------   ---------------    LEAK IN RUSSIAN OIL PIPELINE   GAYLE SHIRAKI   WASHINGTON@   Another leak has developed in an oil pipeline in the Russian@arctic.  It happened not far from the city of Usinsk.  That was;where a leaking pipeline was discovered earlier this year.@Reports say oil is continuing to spill into a large area in the"Komi area near the arctic circle.<   The Russian oil company that owns the pipeline had built>simple dams to contain the growing lakes of oil.  At the sameAtime, crews worked to fix the latest leaks in the pipeline.  TheApipeline is about nineteen years old.  It has had a long historyof such leaks.>   At the beginning of last month, heavy rains in Komi caused>some of the dams holding the oil to burst.  Experts are still=trying to estimate the size of the resulting spill.  Russian?officials said about fourteen-thousand tons of oil have leaked@into surrounding areas. A Russian environmental group says thatAfar more oil has spilled.  It says at least two-hundred-thousandAtons of oil leaked from the pipeline.  That would mean the spillBmay be about eight times larger than the one caused by the Valdez8oil transport ship near Alaska in nineteen-eighty-nine.?   Members of the environmental group, Greenpeace, report thatAmany new leaks have developed in the pipeline since August.  And?it says there are no guarantees that the leaks have been fully>repaired.  Yet, reports say oil producers in Russia are still*pumping oil through the damaged pipeline.@   Russian officials just recently have begun to admit that the<oil spill is a serious problem.  Cold weather is helping to@prevent the oil from spreading quickly.  But, experts warn that?the remaining oil may continue moving north toward the BarentsBSea and the Arctic Ocean when snow in the area melts next spring.BThe oil could destroy fishing industries in the Pechora River and;kill other wildlife near the spill.  It also could pollute4drinking water for people who live along the river.;   Environmental experts are extremely concerned about theBproblem. They say that the leaky oil pipeline in the komi area is?among the millions of kilometers of oil and gas pipelines that=extend across Russia.  Most of them reportedly need repairs.:About half of them are more than twenty years old.  About9twenty-percent of them are older than thirty years.  The3pipelines were designed to last only thirty years.   ----------------   ----------------   GENETIC RESEARCH PROTEST   DAVID MCALARY   WASHINGTON;   A U.S. biologist has astonished the American scientific=community by returning a large government research grant and:saying he will not accept any more money to probe genetic>mysteries. The scientist is worried that genetic manipulation;could get out of hand and endanger existing species on ourplanet.A   The competition for scarce U.S. Government research grants is>fierce.  Nevertheless, biologist John Fagan is returning more9than 600,000 dollars given to him for gene research, and?withdrawing his requests for one-and-a-quarter million dollarsmore.<   "I return these grants publicly at this time to state my@concern about genetic engineering and to warn about the growing>dangers of genetic manipulations in any species," said Fagan.>   Mr. Fagan is a professor of molecular biology at maharishi@International University, an Iowa school established in 1971 byBthe Indian founder of transcendental meditation, Maharishi MaheshAYogi.  Before that, he was a researcher at the U.S. Government'sNational Cancer Institute.A   Mr. Fagan is protesting what he says is the unsafe alteration<of plant and animal genes for the purpose of improving some?aspect of the organism, such as giving it bigger size, disease9and pesticide resistance, or better taste and nutrition:A   "Every organism on this planet has co-evolved with all others8over a huge span of time.  It is often forgotten that a@manipulation of one organism influences the biosphere as whole.?Over the long span of time, there is a serious risk that those:manipulations can alter the environment in serious ways."?   The Maharishi International University scientist is calling?for a 50 year moratorium on commercial applications of geneticBengineering while research continues into better understanding ofits impact.A   But Mr. Fagan's worry is considered misplaced by lIsa Raines,8a spokeswoman for one of the largest U.S. biotechnology@companies, the Genzyme Corporation in Cambridge, Massachusetts.?   In Raines' view, a moratorium would do more harm than good:@   "There has never been an incident in which there has been an@inappropriate or unforeseen environmental effect.  As of today,Bthousands of such experiments have been done, and the goal of theAexperiments is to develop products that will reduce our reliance:on chemical pesticides and herbicides which would provideAenvironmental benefits, improve the quality of the foods that we@eat, as well as actually develop new substances to treat people1who have diseases that are not treatable today."?   John Fagan fears that any genetic mistake made now would be>carried by future generations of the altered species forever:>   "We cannot reverse many of these problems.  [If] you put a?genetically engineered fish into the ocean, you cannot call itback"<   But Lisa Raines of Genzyme says Mr. Fagan overstates the>problem.   She points out genetic manipulation has long taken=place using cruder cross breeding techniques.  Sophisticated*laboratory procedures only speed them up.A   Further, Raines adds, they are nothing compared to that foundin nature:B   "We are talking about making a modification to the genes which@is much less profound than the modifications that nature itselfBmakes through mutations and cross breeding and evolution of these@species.  We are talking about making a change which is studiedBvery intensely in controlled laboratory and greenhouse conditionsBlong before it is released into the environment, so that there is?an understanding of the impact such a change might have on the.other organisms with which it would coexist."B   Nevertheless, Mr. Fagan says other techniques could accomplishBthe same goals.  In medicine, he believes more money should go to@research on preventing disease rather than on curing it by gene=therapy.  He intends to focus his studies on the traditionalAIndian healing system known as ayurveda or vedic medicine, which'is based largely on herbal treatments.A   The U.S. National Institutes of Health, which awards the vastBmajority of biomedical research grants in the United States, says2Mr. Fagan's return of money may be unprecedented.   ---------------   ---------------   BREAD SHORTAGE IN GEORGIA   ELIZABETH ARROTT
   MOSCOW<   Economic devastation has taken a new twist in the formerBSoviet republic of Georgia. A disruption in fuel supplies has ledto a severe shortage of bread.?   Residents in the Georgian capital stood for hours hoping to@get their daily ration of bread.  But with natural gas supplies@cut, the bakeries simply could not produce enough to go around.@   A reported one-third of Tbilisi citizens are affected, going?without what is a main source of nutrition in the economicallyBravaged country.  Many publicly criticized Georgian leader Eduard;Shevardnadze for the crisis, which began after a leak in a2natural gas pipeline curtailed power to the city.B   Mr. Shevardnadze introduced bread rationing earlier this year,=as the Georgian economy, devastated by two civil wars and anAongoing separatist struggle, continued its downward spiral. EvenAat government subsidized prices, a loaf of bread costs from five<to 10 percent of the average monthly salary.  That wage now4stands at the equivalent of about two U.S. dollars.B   Georgian officials say they are seeking emergency help for the:bread and energy problems from nearby Turkey and Ukraine.   ---------------   ----------------   FORMER EAST BLOC SPY SENTENCED IN GERMANY   DAGMAR BREITENBACH   BONNA   A court in Germany has sentenced a former Eastern Bloc spy to=12 years in jail for treason. The man for years, passed NATO7military secrets to East Germany and the Soviet Union.<   Rainer Rupp, code-named "Topaz", worked for the economic7section of the western alliance, NATO, at its BrusselsBheadquarters, where he had access to highly classified documents.=   The spy confessed to the Duesseldorf court that he passedBthousands of sensitive strategic documents to the East German and*Soviet secret services from 1977 to 1989.>   "Topaz" was uncovered only last year through documents the?east German state security ministry failed to destroy when the<communist government collapsed in 1989.  The documents were%discovered after German unification.@   The 49-year-old has been sentenced to 12 years in jail.  His7British wife, Ann-Christine, who also worked at NATO'sBheadquarters and helped cover her spy husband's tracks, was given<a suspended sentence of less than two years for complicity.@   The trial is one of the last major German-German spy trials.AA number of East German spies have been uncovered and brought toBtrial since unification, when secret east German documents became/available to western intelligence authorities.   ---------------   ---------------   HONDURAN STREET CHILDREN   BILL RODGERS   SAN JOSE<   A dispute is escalating between a group that defends the=rights of street children and Honduras' police force over an=incident involving the alleged abuse of minors. The group is=calling on the honduran government to do more to protect therights of street children.A   The U.S. based group Covenant House (Casa Alianza in Spanish)=says Honduran authorities have failed to respond to concerns?raised recently after police allegedly held detained youths in>cells with adult prisoners.  The incident occurred on October>seventh, when police in Tegucigalpa arrested almost one dozen>street children and allegedly held them over the weekend in a?jail cell with adults.  Covenant House, which operates a youth;shelter in Honduras, secured the release of the youths the?following Monday.  It said the youths complained of being held?with adult inmates who beat and sexually abused them.  Some of2the youths also accused police of torturing them.=   Covenant House and the New York-based human rights group,@Human Rights Watch-Americas, denounced the action and urged the=Honduran government to prevent such incidents from happeningagain.=   But Covenant House's regional director for Latin America,>Bruce Harris, said Honduran authorities have not responded to8these appeals or taken action to prevent future abuses:@   "At the present time in Honduras there is still no detentionAcenter for children, that is any closed detention center.  So if@police arrest children and they want to detain them in a closedAenvironment, they have no other option but to keep them in cellswith adults."=   Mr. Harris notes this practice violates both Honduran and0international law, and should not be tolerated.B   While acknowledging he has no information that the practice is>continuing, Mr. Harris said Covenant House remains concerned:A   "To date we don't have concrete information of children beingBdetained again in the seventh precinct, where we found close to a@dozen children recently.  However, we are concerned that if the<police arrest the children because they are doing somethingBwrong, which is the function of the police, they still don't haveAanywhere to take them.  The judges don't work on the weekend, soBif the police don't detain them, as they should, and they let the@children go then that  is still not the adequate response.  The7state must provide security for these children and therehabilitation for them."7   Meanwhile, the Honduran police force has denied the?accusations of Covenant House.  A police spokesman quoted by aBHonduran newspaper said no detained minors were ever held in jailBcells with adult inmates, adding that a juvenile judge present on@October seventh can testify to this.  The spokesman said police=commanders are considering whether to sue covenant house for8defaming the image of Honduras' police force with false
accusations.?   But Mr. Harris said Covenant House stands by its version of9the events.  While expressing concern over the threat of;prosecution, Mr. Harris said he will not stop speaking out8publicly when the rights of street children are abused.   ---------------   ---------------;   ISRAELI RIGHTS GROUP CALL FOR CHANGES IN INTERROGATIONS
   AL PESSIN
   JERUSALEMB   An Israeli human rights group has called for an end to what itArefers to as the "habitual" and "routine" use of torture against<Palestinian prisoners, and has warned the government not to+expand the use of force in interrogations.B   The human rights group B'Tselem published a report focusing on@the experiences of nine Palestinian prisoners, one of them justA15 years old, and testimony by security officers at four trials.@   The report accuses the Israeli army and the general security>service of using several methods of torture on the prisoners,<including physical violence, deprivation of food, sleep andAbathing facilities, tying suspects to chairs for weeks at a timeAand confinement in small closets, and hot, cold or filthy cells.B   The group says prisoners receive such treatment without having?been convicted, or even charged with a crime, and they are not1allowed to meet with a lawyer or family members.A   One of the report's authors, Yuval Ginbar, says using torture=is illegal, immoral, and often counterproductive, either not?extracting any information or producing false confessions, and?often inspiring prisoners to become more radical when they get
out of jail:6   "Where are our smart interrogators?  Where are theAinterrogators who can extract information out of people by using?sophisticated means?  Now, it seems from the testimony that we>have that in order to become a GSS (general security service)?interrogator you have to speak Arabic, especially curse words,>and you have to be very strong physically.  And I don't think<this is the only way of getting information, including very5important and very crucial information from people."B   But Israeli government spokesman Uri Dromi denies that tortureis used routinely:<   "All those talks about massive or routine use of torture!against prisoners are not true."<   Mr. Dromi said he agrees with the argument that abuse ofBprisoners can be counterproductive, particularly, he says, on the>often well-educated supporters of radical Palestinian groups:>   "You don't use torture and you don't use physical measuresBagainst those people.  (With) those people you need to use brainsBand you need to use cunning and elaborate ways, because torturingBthem or beating them up or things like this will lead to nothing.@So it's not only illegal to do so, but it's also unproductive."?   The Israeli army issued a statement saying its officers are-forbidden to use violence in interrogations.=   Still, Mr. Dromi says the security services, which answer>directly to the prime minister, are authorized to use what he=calls "moderate physical pressure" when time is a factor andlives are at stake.=   He says officials have decided to review the criteria for@allowing such measures, and that is what has caused the currentBcontroversy.  Some officials believe interrogators should be free<to use force whenever a terrorist group has issued a public?threat, rather than only when there is a kidnapping or hostagesituation in progress.>   But the B'Tselem human rights group believes interrogators?have already been given orders to get tougher with Palestinian<prisoners because of the recent series of terrorist attacksagainst Israelis.@   Yuval Ginbar says one of the group's main goals is to changeBwhat he sees as the permissive attitude many Israelis have toward&the torture of Palestinian prisoners:B   "Recently, after the last bomb attacks and kidnappings and all>that, we have a feeling that the public atmosphere leans more/towards allowing torture, than it did before."9   Mr. Ginbar says members of his group have been calledBtraitors, and one member had a bomb threat at his home just a few
days ago.A   B'Tselem also notes that the use of torture has been extendedAto Jewish prisoners accused of planning terror attacks on Arabs.<Mr. Ginbar says the measures used against Israelis are much>lighter than those used against Palestinians, but he says the@security services are making what he calls "a bad beginning" in-their treatment of a new group of prisoners.=   The human rights activists brought one former Palestinian?prisoners to their news conference.  Twenty-one year-old FawziBMojahed spoke in Hebrew about his recent confinement.  He said heBwas shackled to a small chair for 17 days, beaten repeatedly, andthen put in a small closet.@   Mr. Ginbar translated some of Mr. Mojahed's story, involving1an interrogator referred to as "Captain Martin":A   "He hit him on his shoulders until his shoulders turned blue.BThen he made him sit in banana position, namely hands tied to theAfeet in a sort of awkward way, and he told him to count from oneto 500 and back to one, etc."<   The former prisoner said that after two periods in jail,:totalling about 10 weeks, he confessed to some minor rock?throwing and slogan writing about six years ago, when he was a*teenager.  He was released pending trial.:   Mr. Ginbar of B'Tselem says many cases of Palestinians?subjected to torture end with only minor charges filed, or  no?charges at all.  The government spokesman, Mr. Dromi, says the<Palestinians who report torture to B'Tselem are promoting apolitical agenda.   ---------------   ---------------%   NELSON MANDELA'S FIRST SIX MONTHS   MALLORY SALESON   JOHANNESBURG?   It is generally agreed one of the biggest miracles in South@Africa since Nelson Mandela's government of national unity took=power six months ago, has been the success of efforts toward7national reconciliation and unity. there seems to be a>willingness by most South Africans,  black and white, to work?together to solve problems and simply get along after years ofpolarization.=   When president Nelson Mandela was elected, he promised toBachieve a new order in South Africa where all citizens, black andAwhite, would be able to walk tall without fear in their  hearts.B   Archbishop Desmond Tutu, who won the Nobel Peace prize for his@efforts to end apartheid in South Africa, says President Manela$has fulfilled his promise and more:?   "He's been superb.  He's been quite extraordinary.  Now and>again he shows that he is a mortal and you know maybe that isAalso a good thing.  but what's been extraordinary is how many of@those who have been his erstwhile critics, and most acerbic and;hostile critics virtually all are eating out of his hand."6   The director of the institute of race relations in;Johannesburg, John Kane-Berman, says there's no doubt that=President Mandela has assumed the role of reconciler and hashandled it well:B   "Mandela has certainly helped to make people of all races feelAeasier about the future.  I think one of the reasons why, as farBas I can tell, the white civil service has settled into accepting:its new political masters is that Mandela has been saying5reconciliatory and sensitive and reassuring things."<   Law professor Dennis Davis, head of legal studies at the?University of the Witwatersrand, gives high marks to President>Mandela for attempting to bring people together and make them#feel comfortable with one another:?   "I think the biggest problem overall, however, wasn't black?integration but white integration and there the performance ofBMandela has been absolutely incredible. He's done a very fine job?in being able to balance black and white interests and I thinkBwhites to a large degree have forgotten about any insurrectionestBideas they might have had and that's been very good, but that was&clearly a problem to start off with."B   South Africa's Deputy President, F.W. De Klerk, was the leader@of the last apartheid regime. He is the man who handed over the;presidency to Mr. Mandela, and now works closely with him.:   Mr. De Klerk describes Nelson Mandela as a man of high&integrity, with a strong personality:=   "I'd like to highlight the fact that the peacekeeping and<peacemaker role on which he himself puts strong emphasis, I>think, is important for South Africa at the moment. He has an:even heavier schedule than I had , apart from running the@country, our return to the international community and the veryAhigh profile we have makes heavier demands on him than they wereon me."B   President Mandela has his critics, as well.  Political analyst@Eugene Nyati, the director of the center for African studies in?Johannesburg, points to ongoing lawlessness and disruptions in=education in South Africa's black townships and the apparentBinability on the part of the new government to solve the problem.AMr. Nyati and other observers note, for example, difficulties in=integrating former Umkhonto We Sizwe guerrillas into the new:South African defense force and the repeated but unheeded?attempts by the minister of defense to resolve the issue. They@say criminal violence is escalating at an appalling rate, while+police morale remains at an all-time low.":   Mr. Nyati says President Mandela needs to start making>executive decisions, the kind, he says, that could antagonize=sections of the ANC's constituency but that help bring aboutpolitical stability:A   "What this means is President Mandela and this new governmentBhave to learn one important lesson in politics and this is, it is?better to pass their toughest, potentially most controversial,=measures at the beginning of the administration when they'reBstill popular, rather than three or four years down the line whenAthey're more vulnerable.  The question is, does president Nelson@Mandela have the political will to motivate pain and sacrifice.>So far he has said all the right  things and yet actions have@often contradicted his word and this is something troublesome."?   Other observers, even president Mandela's his closest aides@worry that too much focus is placed on one man. They worry thatBMr. Mandela's intervention in almost every crisis helps promote acult of personality.?   University of Witwatersrand law professor Dennis Davis says*that gives rise to worry over the future:?   "I think there's always a danger in any society when you'veBgot one person dominating society to the extent that he does.  ItAsort of doesn't give rise to the sort of democratic culture thatAyou want and the real question is what happens when he goes, not;so much while he stays.  Because while he stays his innate>fairness will hold the place together and many of my concerns<will not come about.  But when he goes it's the legacy that
worries me.">   Analysts and friends would like Nelson Mandela to pay lessBattention to issues that should be handled by his ministers so heBcan concentrate on the bigger picture and conserve his energy for*the many challenges that still lie ahead.   ---------------   ---------------B   NORTHERN IRELAND PEACE PROCESS IN WAKE OF REYNOLDS RESIGNATION   ANDRE DE NESNERA
   LONDON?   The resignation of Irish Prime Minister Albert Reynolds hasBplaced the spotlight on the broader question of the peace processBin Northern Ireland, and whether a new government in Dublin wouldcontinue along the same road.@   Former Irish prime minister Albert Reynolds was a key player>in Northern Ireland's peace process.  Just last December, Mr.AReynolds, along with British Prime Minister John Major, issued a;statement setting out a blueprint for peace, the so-calleddowning street declaration.B   That declaration led this year to cease-fires announced by the=paramilitary groups in Northern Ireland, and it allowed Sinn@Fein, the political wing of the Irish Republican Army, to enter?the political process.  Mr. Reynolds was quick to react to the<IRA cease-fire by meeting, just a few months ago, Sinn FeinPresident Gerry Adams.@   The downfall of Mr. Reynolds has brought questions about theBfuture of the Northern Ireland peace process.  As Mr. Reynolds is>confronting his political problems. Sinn Fein president Gerry>Adams is in London visiting the British capital for the first7time since the exclusion order against him was lifted.=   Mr. Adams praised the former Irish leader for his help in0seeking a lasting solution in Northern Ireland:?   "We acknowledge and commend Mr. Reynolds for the urgent and?positive way in which he focused his government on the issues.BBut we remind everyone that the issues and the need for peace areAbigger than any of us, bigger than any politician, any politicalparty or any government."=   Mr. Adams said Sinn Fein remains totally committed to thepeace process.A   In a recent speech to parliament, British prime minister John=Major re-stated his government's commitment to peace, and he<looked ahead to talks with Sinn Fein and representatives of protestant paramilitary groups:A   "Next month, so long as the cease-fire is maintained, we will:open the exploratory dialogue with Sinn Fein and with the8loyalist political representatives. In those talks, the=de-commissioning of illegally held weapons will be a vitallyimportant subject."?   In Ireland, representatives from all the major parties also=expressed their commitment to the on-going peace process and5vowed to continue the search for a lasting solution.>   Richard Sinnott is an expert on Irish politics at Dublin's=University College.  He says at this critical juncture it isAimportant for a new Irish government to maintain a continuity of#policy regarding Northern Ireland.B   Mr. Sinnott says the two main political parties, Mr. Reynolds'=Fianna Fail and Fine Gael led by John Bruton, have different,approaches to the Northern Ireland problem:A   "Differences that, if I could sum them up very briefly, could<be described as a tendency for fine gael to be perhaps more:confrontational in its attitude towards Republicanism and@provisional Sinn Fein and the IRA and to be more sympathetic toAthe unionist position, and a tendency for Fianna Fail to be less>confrontational and to take an approach more of cajoling Sinn@Fein and keeping them on board and making sure that there is noreversion to violence."@   However the Irish expert says if the tactics of the two main@parties are different, the ultimate objective is the same, that2of achieving a lasting peace in Northern Ireland.   ---------------   ---------------.   READY OR NOT? THE STATE OF U.S ARMS FORCES   DAVID SWAN   PENTAGONA   The Clinton administration and the opposition Republicans who8will run the next Congress are already at odds over key=questions, including the state of the nation's armed forces.=While defending their record of the past two years, Pentagon@officials concede some troops are not as ready to fight as theywould like.B   Since the 1970s, combat-readiness has been a crucial issue for<the U.S. military.  The administration says it is now doing,everything possible to keep readiness high.A   Defense Secretary William Perry says the effort has succeeded	overall:B   "The state of readiness in U.S. forces is generally very good.BAll of our alert forces, all of our first-echelon, second-echelon*forces are at a high state of readiness."=   But just one month after Mr. Perry's deputy, John Deutch,:boasted readiness was higher than ever, defense officials:acknowledge some units are far below desired levels.  The?officials say three of the army's 12 divisions could not carryBout all their missions if called to battle and will need time andmoney to recover.@   Officials say these troops, perhaps 50,000 altogether, wouldBnot be the first ones sent overseas in a crisis.  But among those=forces that would deploy early, another full division and an?armored cavalry regiment are also at less than peak readiness.<Similar reports about other units have surfaced in the pastAseveral months, with some fighter squadrons temporarily groundedBfor lack of funds and the Pentagon facing a potentially cripplingshortage of transport planes.@   Officials say readiness has slipped because recent crises in=Haiti, Rwanda and elsewhere have drained the defense budget,9which in turn left the services without enough money for@training.  Meanwhile, the Republicans blame President Clinton'sBpolicies.  Congressman Floyd Spence, the incoming chairman of the=powerful house armed services committee, says the problem is9caused by devastating budget cuts and serious strains onoverburdened forces.=   The Pentagon insists the military could still achieve its>primary goal, fighting and winning two major regional wars atalmost the same time.9   But as the chairman of the joint chiefs, General JohnAShalikashvili, puts it, a smaller, post-cold war force must alsobe a better force:@   "Everything has to hit on all cylinders.  Not  when you have;some flex  (flexibility) because you're larger. And so the@readiness of that force, in terms of how much, how well they're?trained, how well our  bins are full of spare parts and so on,5must be every bit as high as before, if not higher."@   Republicans say they hope to reverse some recent cutbacks in@military spending, though it is not clear where the money would>come from.  Many Republicans are sharply critical of missionsBlike the one in  Haiti.  The Pentagon also worries these efforts,;which it calls operations other than war, could weaken theAtroops' basic readiness to fight.  But the generals and admiralsAexpect these missions to be a fact of military life for years tocome.   ---------------   ---------------&   SOUTH AFRICAN LAND RESTITUTION LAW   DELIA ROBERTSON   JOHANNESBURG?   South African President Nelson Mandela Thursday signed into>law the first major Bill approved by the new parliament which<actively seeks to redress the wrongs inflicted on people byapartheid.?   The law aims to restore land or otherwise compensate people;dispossessed by racial land ownership laws since 1913.  Mr@Mandela says the law will not address racial imbalances in land?ownership across the country.  Rather, he says, it is aimed at*restorating land to those deprived of it.?   With the implementation of the notorious 1913 Land Act, theBwhite parliament commenced a systematic restriction of black landAownership which reached its zenith after the National Party cameBto power in 1948.  With its policy of constitutionally entrenched@racial divisions known as apartheid, the new government plannedBto restrict blacks to 13 percent of the land in separate, ethnic,bantustans or homelands.A   In the pursuit of that goal, tens of thousands blacks, Asians>and coloreds were dispossed of communal land, farms and urban@homes and forced to live in areas designated by the government.@Many were forcibly removed.  Homes were razed; possessions were@destroyed or damaged; and people were ignominiously loaded onto@government trucks with whatever meager possessions they managedAto salvage.  Then they were usually taken hundreds of kilometers6away where they were dumped onto land, often with  noBinfrastructure, poor or distant water supply, and  no  employmentprospects.=   Sometimes entire urban communities, such as those in CapeBTown's district six or Johannesburg's Sophiatown, were forced out>of their homes and moved great distances to low cost tenement?developments, in unpleasant surroundings, with poor transport.0Compensation was almost universally inadequate.B   The Land Restitution Act will bring into being a commission toAinvestigate land claims and a land claims court to rule on them.BIn some cases where the land is still state owned, resolution may?require little more than the stroke of a pen.  In other cases,Bwhite farmers or businessmen now legally own the land, which theyAhave developed and improved, in some rare instances establishing'enterprises worth millions of dollars.:   The challenge will be to find ways to satisfy both the@original and the present owners.  There is widespread agreement8the most complicated and difficult cases will be urban,"individual land ownership claims.A   Some people already have sought their own solutions.  ShortlyBbefore the April election, the Mfengu people of Tsitsikama in the@Eastern Cape returned to their land after they, the farmers and=the government negotiated a deal that satisfied all parties.@   In signing the law, Mr. Mandela said restitution can be made=without white farmers losing their land.  The government has:promised full compensation in cases where disputes remain%unresolved and land is expropriated.   ---------------   ---------------?   TAIWANESE OPPOSITION PARTY STARTS ITS OWN PIRATE TV STATION   KENDALL BUHL
   TAIPEI>   Taiwan's major opposition party is launching an unlicensed>television station. The station is the latest move in a media+battle with the ruling Kuo Min Tang party.B   The Kuo Min Tang, or KMT, has controlled Taiwan politics since@the nationalists fled to the island from mainland China in 1949@after losing a civil war with the communists.  Under a state of@martial law until 1987, the KMT was the only political party inTaiwan.A   With the end of martial law came opposition parties including?the Democratic Progressive Party, or DPP.  Today the DPP holds=about a third of the seats in the legislature and is a majorAcontender in races for the provincial governor's seats and a fewkey mayoral posts.>   The DPP is the major voice of opposition against the still=mostly KMT government.  It favors Taiwan declaring itself an9independent country while the KMT calls for the eventual#reunification with mainland China.=   Now the opposition party has a new weapon in its constant?battle against the KMT.  The DPP's own television station will?begin broadcasting in the capital and with the addition of two=transmitters next week, will be able to broadcast across the=island.  The station will be broadcasting without a license.>   The DPP says the application process takes too long and is<biased towards the KMT.  The ruling party says any party in;Taiwan has an equal opportunity for broadcasting licenses.@Illegal radio stations are already common across the island and,most of them broadcast DPP political views.9   However, this Marks the first broadcast from a pirateAtelevision station.  Party officials say much of the preparation7for the station was conducted in secret, including the<importation of television transmitters and other equipment.7   The government's information office, which controls=broadcasting on the island, three months ago cracked down onAillegal radio stations and says it is considering a crackdown on@the television station.  But the radio crackdown was met with a8severe backlash in public opinion and with the upcomingBelections, the stakes in the media battle between the KMT and theopposition run high.   ---------------   ---------------%   THE CUBA-HAITI REFUGEE DIFFERENCE
   DON HENRY   WASHINGTON@   America's top immigration official says the United States isBdealing differently with Cuban and Haitian refugee situations fora good reason.=   Immigration and Naturalization Service Commissioner Doris=Meissner says U.S. policy is influenced by conditions in the+country from which the people are fleeing.8   With the U.S. engineered return of elected President7Jean-Bertrand Aristide to power in  Haiti, immigration?Commissioner Doris Meissner says the Haitian refugee situationhas changed significantly:B   "In Haiti you do now have a situation where indeed the foreign:policy objective of the (U.S.) government is likely to be:realized, and that is to be able to attack the underlying>circumstances that created the migrations in the first place.<With the return of Aristide and with the involvement of theBinternational community ... You hopefully get past the point of a@repressive regime and all that goes with it from the standpointof migration."?   However, commissioner Meissner says that is not the case in9Cuba, with which the Clinton administration worked out a'migration control agreement in August:A   "In Cuba you continue to have a dictatorship and you continue?to have a government that persecutes.  And so the best that we?can do is to try to move toward a normal migration flow, and a9normalized migration relationship, and that is what this agreement is trying to secure.">   Under the agreement, Cuba said it would stop the exodus of?citizens from island beaches.  In return, the United States is=denying immediate entry to Cubans fleeing their homeland and>instead is holding them in camps at the U.S. military base at?Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, or in other countries.  About 24,000 now4are at Guantanamo and eight thousand are in Panama.?   The United States had hoped the Cuban refugees would return?voluntarily to Cuba to apply for the expanded program of legal?immigration agreed to by Cuba and the United States.  But only?about one thousand refugees stepped forward and only a handful0have received legal immigration papers to date.>   Last month, the United States made an exception to the new;Cuban refugee control policy.  Attorney General Janet Reno>exercised parole powers and authorized about 300 children andBelderly or ill refugees to depart Guantanamo and enter the United*States for emergency humanitarian reasons<   The State Department says the administration is studying9whether to permit three thousand Cuban children still at<Guantanamo, and perhaps five thousand of their relatives or?guardians, to receive a similar parole exemption.  No decision4has been made, and no parole deadline has been set.B   A politically potent Cuban-American organization is urging theBWhite House to open the shores to more Cubans, but an immigration?reform group has filed suit to stop the government from making/any more parole exemptions for Cuban refugees.7   The federation for American immigration reform saysAcommissioner meissner and Attorney General Reno are misusing the9parole power to defeat immigration limits established by
congress.;   The Caribbean refugee situation and court challenges to>California's vote against services for illegal immigrants are@keeping the spotlight on immigration and refugee questions at a>time when pressure against immigration is expected to rise in=congress.  Several Republicans who favor restrictions on the<migrant flow will be taking over key committees in January.   ---------------   ---------------!   U.S./RUSSIA SPACE COOPERATION   DAVID MCALARY   WASHINGTONA   With the return of the U.S. Space Shuttle Atlantis from orbitBearlier this week, technicians will spend the next several months?preparing for its next mission, the first shuttle docking withBthe Russian Mir space station next June. The link-up is part of aBseries of joint U.S./Russian space activities that will culminate@in the construction of the international space station in orbitlater in this decade.>   The only time U.S. and Russian crews have met in space wasAduring the docking of the U.S. Apollo and Soviet Soyuz craft for<two days in 1975.  Two decades will have passed by the time@"Atlantis" flies up to meet the Mir space station.  The two are1very different missions in very different times.<   The Apollo-Soyuz linking was seen as a symbolic goodwill@gesture during a period of detente between two cold war rivals.BThe 1995 link-up will be one of several joint research activities3between two countries leading to a practical goal.@   In preparation for the effort, atlantis has been refurbished;with a Russian-built docking mechanism.  During its recent@mission, the shuttle practiced the approach it will take to the3Mir using a German research satellite as a target.9   But the Atlantis-Mir pairing will not Mark the actual>beginning of joint space activities.  They began last JanuaryBwhen cosmonaut Sergei Krikalev became the first Russian to fly on4a U.S. Shuttle during an eight-day science mission.<   The next step comes in March when astronaut Norm Thagard9blasts off with cosmonauts Vladimir Dezhurov and Gennady=Strekalov aboard a Russian Soyuz spacecraft to conduct threeAmonths of biomedical experiments aboard the Mir.  Atlantis' role<comes three months later when it carries cosmonauts Anatoly?Solovyev and Nikolai Budarin up to the Mir in exchange for the@three crew members.  Before atlantis returns to earth, however,>the shuttle and Mir personnel will conduct five days of joint@medical research on the physiological effects of extended spaceflight.@   Astronaut Thagard and Bonnie Dunbar, have been practicing onARussian space equipment since February at star city, Russia, thecosmonaut training center.@   "We have had a lot of instruction," says Thagard, "so far onAthe systems of the Soyuz spacecraft that will take us to the Mir?station and the Mir station systems itself.  We'll continue to?train at an increasingly intensive pace until the launch date,&which is now scheduled for 14 March."=   Mr. Thagard spoke recently at the Johnson space center in>houston, Texas, where the U.S. and Russian crews returned for%joint training on shuttle equipment.=   Ms. Dunbar said she has taken comfort in the similarities between the two space programs:=   "There's a lot of commonality between the programs, so inBterms of training for a space flight, there was some grounding inBsomething that was familiar.  So we're all working together and I>think as in any program, you start out and there are a lot ofAthings you have to learn, but it's becoming more smooth as we goalong."?   Lieutenant Colonel dEzhurov, speaking through a translator,Bexpressed confidence that all the hard work will pay off in spacenext year:>   "Since Bonnie and Norm had lot of training sessions on all<systems of the space station and all modules, they are veryBprofound [knowledgeable] in the systems.  After the shuttle docks?with the space station, there will be a joint activity both onBboard our space station and on board the shuttle.  Being here, we>have gone through this stage along with bonnie.  I think thatAsince this process was successful here on the ground, it will besuccessful in orbit, too.">   The Russian and American crews have returned to star city,?where they will be joined in February by two more veteran U.S./astronauts preparing for later joint missions.>   Altogether, there will be seven to 10 shuttle-Mir dockings=between next year and 1997 in which experience and technical:expertise is gained for the assembly and operation of the@international space station.  Construction begins later in 1997Awhen U.S. Space Shuttles and Russian Soyuz and Proton spacecraft=ferry materials into orbit with which to build the station'score.   ---------------   ---------------    URUGUAY ELECTION SCENESETTER   ROGER WILKISON   RIO DE JANEIRO:   With 7 days to go before general elections are held in=Uruguay, public opinion surveys show that the nation's three:major political groups appear to be virtually tied. UnderAUruguay's complicated electoral laws, the new president will not9necessarily be the candidate who gets most of the votes.@   Two polls released this week show the ruling National Party,Bthe opposition Colorado Party, and the leftist coalition known as?the progressive encounter running neck-and neck with regard tovoter preference.B   One survey has the National Party at 29 percent, the ColoradosAat 28 percent and the leftists at 27 percent.  Another shows theBNational Party with 28 percent, followed by the Colorados with 27@percent and the leftists with 25 percent.  When a three-to-four>percent margin of error is taken into account, that means thethree forces are tied.A   When Uruguayans go to the polls a week from Sunday, they will;not only elect a president and vice president, but also 30;senators, 99 deputies, mayors (intendentes) and provincial&legislators (ediles departamentales).B   An interesting feature of Uruguayan elections is that citizens;vote for a party and, at the same time, for one of several>presidential candidates within that party.  The candidate who=gets the most votes among the choices offered by the winningparty is elected president.<   The National Party and the Colorado party, Uruguay's twoAtraditional political forces, have three presidential candidates;each, while the progressive encounter has only one, Tabare=Vasquez, a charismatic cancer specialist (physician) who was$montevideo's first socialist mayor.B   If the surveys' predictions are borne out on election day, Dr.>Vasquez would personally get the most votes.  But because his:coalition is expected to come in third, he would lose the?presidency to the National Party candidate who comes in first.>   The leading National Party candidate is Alberto Volonte, a:businessman with little political experience who preachesAfree-market economics with a populist style.  The polls show himAsix percentage points ahead of his nearest National Party rival.?The leading Colorado contender is former president Julio MariaBSanguinetti, the man who led the transition from military rule to?democracy after 1985.  Mr. Sanguinetti is way ahead of both ofhis internal rivals.@   Whatever the results, the next Uruguayan government will notBhave a majority in congress, so it will need to strike deals with?sectors of the opposition to get its program through congress.   ---------------   ---------------"   BOSNIA SEEKS U.N. INTERVENTION   JIM STEVENSON   WASHINGTONA   As Serb forces in Northwestern Bosnia-Herzegovina continue to:close in on the Muslim-held enclave of Bihac, the Bosnian;government has appealed for the United Nations and NATO toBintervene.  The Bosnian ambassador to the United Nations wants to=see U.N. action despite what he calls a past indifference toprotection in the region.<   Bosnian Serb forces say they have advanced to within two?kilometers of the U.N. protected area of Bihac after capturingits surrounding villages.@   Bosnia's ambassador to the United Nations, Mohamed Sacirbey,Asays the Bosnian government would like to see the enforcement of@a weapons exclusion zone to protect Bihac, but feels there is alack of commitment to do so:A   "Bihac as a practical matter has never been a safe area (and)Anever received any of those benefits.  I just do not think there@is a will (to protect Bihac).  I think a long time ago there we?saw patterns that in Bosnia-Herzegovina which is you do not doAanything that is going to be perceived in any way by the SerbianBside as provocative.  So, although we think we have a right under=the United Nations resolutions to demand that all attacks inABihac stop, we are really focused on the attacks coming from theRepublic of Croatia.":   Ambassador Sacirbey says the three week-old governmentBoffensive is aimed at liberating the country and to bring about aApolitical settlement intended to re-integrate the warring sides.@But he says past diplomatic and military efforts have failed tomove toward that objective.@   The Bosnian ambassador says peace will come when the Bosnian>Serbs realize they are a part of Bosnia-Herzegovina and not a!part of a greater Serbian state.   ---------------   ---------------#   CAMBODIA'S NEW FOREIGN MINISTER   BILL HARRIS   PHNOM PENH9   Cambodia's new foreign minister says his country mustAstrengthen relations with other countries, especially Cambodia'sAneighbors.  But the new minister Wednesday also supported recent?Australian allegations of continued Thai business and military0links with the outlawed Khmer Rouge guerrillas.?   In his first speech as Cambodian foreign minister, Ung Huot9said his main aim is to strengthen the country's foreign<relations by opening more embassies abroad and signing moreinternational conventions.@   The minister said he particularly wants to improve relationsBwith neighboring states and continue to push for Cambodia's entry>into the association of southEast Asian nations, the regional grouping better known as ASEAN.=   Phnom Penh's previous foreign affairs chief, who resigned?several weeks ago, said it would still take another one to two:years for Cambodia to join ASEAN because of the country'sinfrastructure problems.>   But many among the six-nation ASEAN members, which include;Malaysia, Indonesia, Singapore, The Philipines, Brunei and8Thailand, say there are bigger problems with Cambodia's=application.  These include the continued civil war with the?Khmer Rouge and Cambodia's still divided coalition government.7   Foreign Minister Ung Huot says he will continue his;predecessor's policy of national reconciliation.  But many<observers say the new minister is more in favor of military7action than Cambodia's previous foreign affairs chief.;   Minister ung huot said Cambodia's government operates a@"carrot-and-stick" policy toward the Khmer Rouge, offering them;national reconciliation but at the same time improving the"capability of the Cambodian army.?   The minister also backed Australian foreign minister GarethBEvans' recent allegations that some Thai soldiers and businessmen<along Cambodia's border with Thailand are still helping theAguerrillas.  The Australian minister later said his remarks wereBbased on old information, implying the border situation could now@be different.  But Cambodian foreign minister ung huot said the%situation must still be checked out.=   Analysts have long blamed powerful Thai military officers<along the border for helping the Khmer Rouge, despite Phnom8Penh's formal outlawing of the radical guerrilla group.   ---------------   ---------------   CHINESE ECONOMIC NEWS   DAVID DYAR   BEIJING9   Chinese press reports Wednesday publish a list of theBbest-paid occupations in China.  According to the survey, Chinese>who have been successful at gambling on the country's erraticAstock Market have the country's highest income.  The survey says<stock Market players have incomes of more than 100 thousandBdollars. (One million yuan) the survey says private entrepreneurs?have the next-highest incomes, averaging around 12,000 dollars(100,000 yuan).A   Successful actors, singers and models are next in the survey.AThe report says Chinese managers of joint-venture firms are also among the highest paid Chinese.A   Finally the report, says taxi drivers are among the top money;makers in China, with annual incomes averaging nearly five thousand dollars (40,000 yuan).@   Many of those receiving the high incomes are in cities which=have been at the forefront of implementing Market reforms in9China.  A Chinese press report issued Wednesday says the?country's economic-reform policies are achieving success in 18@cities which have been  designated pilot cities to move rapidlytoward a market economy.>   The report says, in the central provincial capital, Wuhan,=most of the nearly 200 newly-formed private enterprises have8shown profits of more than 25 percent in the past year.?   Officials say the capital of Sichuan province (Chengdu) has.reduced its unemployment rate to two percent.B   There are 18 cities in the pilot program, including Guangzhou,?the former Canton, as well as the tourist city, Xian, which is<famous for its ancient imperial tombs containing terracotta
warriors.<   Another pilot city is the large port city, Tianjin, near	Beijing.@   Another economic development this week in China concerns the*effort to reform its automotive industry.;   Chinese officials are holding a conference this week inABeijing to discuss plans to build a new type of car many Chinese!families will be able to afford.<   Several of the world's top auto makers are attending theBconference.  Chinese officials want to chose a design for the newcar, next year.A   They are seeking foreign partners to help start what they say<may turn into the largest automobile industry in the world.=   Currently China assembles only a few types of automobilesBwhich only the richest citizens can afford.  Officials hope to beAable to design a car which will be within reach of large numbersof Chinese families.>   American auto manufacturers are keen to be involved in theArace to build the new car.  The American car companies have lost8sales to Japanese auto manufacturers in many developing>countries, but the Americans and Japanese will be starting onequal terms in China.;   European car companies, such as Mercedes Benz, are also8actively engaged in trying to enter the Chinese Market.   ---------------   ---------------9   CHINA'S COMMUNIST PARTY START SELF-PROMOTION CAMPAIGN   DAVID DYAR   BEIJING:   China's communist party leaders are using a propaganda@campaign to stop what they see as a significant loss of control:by the central government over many parts of the country.<   In the past few weeks party leaders have waged a massive?propaganda campaign throughout China to strengthen the party'sauthority in the country.B   The campaign stems from a decision made following a meeting ofAthe party central committee earlier this year to strengthen what>officials call party building and democratic centralism.  The@propaganda campaign, in fact, makes continual references to theBconclusions of the meeting by putting the words, the decision, in7quotation Marks to emphasize the meeting's importance.@   Earlier this month the campaign took on a new twist with the@re-publication of a book containing speeches by retired supreme:leader Deng Xiaoping.  The book had a small number of new@articles added, but officials claimed there was an enthusiastic=response to the publication.  State television showed peopleBlined up to buy the book.  However, analysts say many Chinese are?forced to buy copies of the book by communist party cells that%require the book for study sessions.B   Speeches by party leaders in several provinces during the past9few weeks have emphasized the importance of crushing any?opposition to the party's control.  The most strident of these@commentaries was made by the party newspaper in Shanghai.  That@newspaper said any disobedience to the party's orders has to be$in its words absolutely prohibited.@   Some indication of how authority the party has in some areas?of the country has been reduced was disclosed in a speech by a?party official late last month broadcast on Tibet's televisionAnetwork. In the speech the official revealed the communist party;in Tibet is having difficulties with Tibetan party members%because of their belief in Buddhism.=   The party leader, Director Lu Huimin of the party's TibetAOrganization Department, says religious activities of members in9some Tibetan villages have serious disrupted the party'sAoperations.  He says in some villages party members are actively>engaged in spreading buddhism and are using religion to split=tibet from China. He ordered that from now on no one will be,allowed in the party if they are religious.B   Some analysts who have been following this propaganda campaign9say it may be related to the uncertainty surrounding theBcountry's political future because of the declining health of Mr.@Deng.  These analysts say after Mr. Deng's death there may be a:period when the leadership will face a challenge to their@authority from within the party.  They say the current campaign@may be an attempt to reduce the chances that any such challengewill be effective.   ---------------   ---------------   U.S. CONGRESS TRANSITION   JIM MALONE
   SENATE>   Republicans in the U.S. Congress are eagerly pushing theirAagenda for change as they prepare to take over the leadership of@both the Senate and House of Representatives for the first time
in 40 years.<   When Republicans take control of Congress in January the:senate is likely to be following the lead of the House ofBRepresentatives.  House Republicans say they will move quickly toBenact their contract with America, a list of several issues whichAthey pledged to bring up for a vote within the first 100 days ofthe new Congress.?   Senate Republicans are promising to work closely with their@colleagues in the House to ensure quick action on the contract,?especially the balanced budget amendment, which has emerged as$the number one Republican priority.;   Though still pleased with last week's election results,@Republicans like Senator Judd Gregg (New Hampshire) are warningAthat American voters are impatient and will demand quick results&from the new Republican-led Congress:B   "I think the message was fairly clear from the American people@that they rejected the liberalism of the last 40 years but they>did not necessarily embrace the Republican policies.  I think&they said show us (what you can do)."=   Several Senate Republicans say the message of the midtermBelections was a call for lower taxes and less government spending<and regulation. Senator Thad Cochran (Mississippi) says theAincoming Republican leadership is working to ensure that the new<Congress responds quickly to the voter's demand for change:;   "We want to have a coordinated and coherent legislative@strategy and coordinate it with the house (of representatives),@coherent in terms of what can we do first to help make sure the?American people understand we are responding to the mandate ofthis election."A   The contract with America also includes proposals for welfareBreform, congressional term limits, a cut in the capital gains tax@(tax on profits from sales of assets like stocks and property),4and limits on legal appeals in death penalty cases.?   Many of these proposals may initiate in the House but couldAface a tougher test in the Senate where the rules of debate make>it easier to delay or kill legislation.  Republicans are wellBaware of these filibuster tactics (delaying tactics), having used>them successfully to kill several democratic proposals in the>waning days of the congressional session which concluded lastmonth.   ---------------   ---------------,   EU TO END AUTOMATIC SUBSIDIES TO FARMERS   JOHN FRASER   BRUSSELS>   The European Union has agreed to end a system of automatic=price rises for Europe's farmers, which have cost 36-billionAdollars over the last decade.  However, European Union officials>do plan to continue to allow controversial state subsidies tomany inefficient airlines.@   Under a complex mechanism known as the switch over, European@Union officials have boosted payments to farmers every time theBGerman deutsche mark increased in value. This mechanism alone has@been blamed for a 20-percent boost in food prices over the lastdecade.;   But European agriculture commissioner Rene Steichen has?announced that the switch over is being switched off.  He saysBfood prices will no longer undergo automatic increases every time>there are currency changes.  This is likely to please farmers<outside Europe who object to the high subsidies paid in theEuropean Union.>   However, another announcement by EU officials will be less?welcome.  They have left the door open for future subsidies to?European airlines, despite demands by carriers from the united'states, Britain, and Asia to end them.7   EU officials say subsidies will be approved only in>exceptional circumstances, but critics believe the exceptionswill become the rule.   ---------------   ---------------5   EGYPTIAN GOVERNMENT OUTLINES FLOOD RELIEF PROGRAM   LAURIE KASSMAN	   CAIRO<   Egypt's government has outlined an ambitious program for@rebuilding areas of southern Egypt devastated by flash floodingBtwo weeks ago. President Hosni Mubarak estimates the flood damage>at more than 74-million dollars, with more than four-thousand!hectares of farm land destroyed.9   The minister of local administration, Mahmoud Sherif,;estimates the cost of rebuilding the destroyed villages in0southern Egypt at more than 60-million dollars.?   He told the Egyptian daily "Al-Ahram" the plan takes effectBimmediately and will cover rebuilding villages with more than 200<houses destroyed.  It also provides financial assistance to?residents in smaller areas so they can do the work themselves.>   The government promises to pick up the Bill for rebuilding>schools, mosques, and public buildings.  Minister Sherif says;studies are underway about relocating new houses away fromflood-prone areas.B   More than 30,000 buildings were damaged or destroyed two weeks;ago when flash floods swept through about 200 villages and$hamlets in five southern provinces.;   One flooded village on the outskirts of Assiut was also>ravaged by fire from an exploded gasoline storage tank.  More%than 400 people died in the village.@   Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak has promised to cancel debt8payments for flood victims and compensate them for lost@livestock.  He has now ordered the army to build five temporary>housing projects in the provinces of Sohag, Assiut, Qena, andLuxor.<   A special government committee set up to deal with flood@relief efforts reports that more than three-thousand tents have?been set up in 57 camps in the flood-stricken areas.  Minister@Sherif estimates almost 100,000 blankets and stocks of food and(clothing have been shipped to the area.B   Local officials say that should meet their needs.  But many ofBthe tens of thousands left homeless by the floods say they do not<have access to the tent cities and have not received enoughblankets or food.>   The United States, Japanese, and European governments have9donated cash and relief supplies.  Egyptian embassies in?Washington and in European capitals are also raising funds forthe flood victims.?   Many of the victims have complained the government response=was slow at first because local officials underestimated the=extent of the damage.  Farmers who saw their houses crushed,Bfields flooded, and crops destroyed are growing impatient for thepromised help.   ---------------   ---------------   GM TRUCK DISPUTE   PAUL FRANCUCH   CHICAGO@   The world's largest automobile manufacturer, general Motors,;strongly criticized a decision made Tuesday by the federal?government's transportation department to hold public hearings:involving the safety of certain GM trucks. General Motors@believes the matter would be better reviewed in a court of law,rather than in a public forum.A   The trucks in question are known as "CK pickups."  The models>subject to review were built between the years 1973 and 1987.:Last month, President Clinton's Transportation Secretary,AFederico Pena, determined the trucks posed, to use his words, an?"unreasonable risk" of fire because fuel tanks on the vehicles?are mounted outside their frames.  Subsequent year models have8the tanks mounted inside of frames.  The transportationAdepartment says 150 people were killed over the past two decades=in fiery accidents involving the trucks.  The Transportation:Department believes those victims would have survived the<crashes, had it not been for fires caused by the particularmounting of the fuel tanks.@   General Motors contends its vehicles are safe and were built?according to standards set for the time.  A statement from g-m>accused secretary pena of having a "closed mind," adding, "he>believes it is all right for the federal government to tell aAmanufacturer that it can build its products to one standard, for?the manufacturer unquestionably to meet that standard, and forBthe government to require the manufacturer to recall and redesign=those products some 20 years later to a different standard."A   The decision to recall the remaining six million or so of theBnine million "CK truck" vehicles manufactured has yet to be made.@The transportation department wants to hold the public hearings>involving industry officials, various experts and families of?accident victims before making a recall ruling. Transportation;secretary pena admitted earlier that the GM trucks had met?federal safety standards at the time they were made, but their-subsequent accident record merited a review.>   GM's statement described the public hearings scheduled for?next month as an "orchestrated talk show" featuring plaintiffsBattorneys and industry critics.  But the hearings could also turn9into a public relations nightmare for the company, and a>subsequent recall to shield the exposed fuel tanks would cost?General Motors many millions of dollars at a time when the big9automaker is attempting to improve its earnings picture.   ---------------   ---------------3   HUSSEIN WARNS OPPONENTS OF JORDAN-ISRAEL TREATY   MOHAMED GHUNEIM	   AMMAN7   King Hussein of Jordan warned groups opposed to the;Jordan-Israel peace treaty he will not tolerate the use ofAJordanian territory as a springboard for attacks against Israel.BHe says he will not allow disruption of what he calls a peace won?with honor. The Jordanian monarch has strongly criticized Arab'countries for their negative attitude.?   Marking his birthday late Tuesday, King Hussein delivered a@hard-hitting speech against fundamentalists, radical groups and,arab countries opposed to the peace treaty.>   The king, who turned 59, delivered a clear warning against@terrorism.  He says Islam cannot side with darkness and againstApeace or with death against life.  He also made it clear he will5no longer allow the use of mosques for what he calls=irresponsible expression and mental terrorism in the name ofislam.=   King Hussein's warning is understood to target the Muslim;Brotherhood Movement, whose members occupy 16 seats in the?parliament, Hamas movement and radical Palestinian groups.  HeAreiterated Jordan's commitment to peace and hinted for the third<time in as many weeks he will quell any attempt against his=policy by force, as he did against the Palestinians in 1970.>   King Hussein accused unnamed Arab countries of negativity,@obliqueness, waste of opportunities and of superficial approach to Jordan's future and destiny.   ---------------   ---------------   IAEA/N.KOREA TALKS   WAYNE COREY
   VIENNA?   The International Atomic Energy Agency and North Korea have;held talks about the resumption of IAEA inspections of the+north's suspected nuclear weapons program.A   IAEA and North Korean technical experts discussed the nuclear@cooperation agreement between North Korea and the United States>and how the Atomic Energy Agency should help to implement it.A   The IAEA officials told the North Koreans the agency wants to>monitor the shutting down of North Korea's graphite-moderatednuclear power reactors.>   The reactors will be replaced by light-water reactors that?produce less weapons-grade plutonium, needed to produce atomicbombs.?   This was the first meeting between the IAEA and North KoreaAsince June when the agency suspended certain aid to North Korea.BIn retaliation, North Korea announced it was withdrawing from theatomic energy agency.=   With the new agreement between North Korea and the UnitedBStates, the IAEA hopes to get the north's complete cooperation to2allow full inspections of its nuclear facilities.B   The U.S./North Korean agreement provides for full inspections.;But, some inspections would be delayed for up to 10 years.   ---------------   ---------------?   NORTH KOREA SEEKS TO RESTART NORMALIZATION TALKS WITH JAPAN   KYOKO KANEKO	   TOKYO?   North Korea is seeking to get back into normalization talks@with Japan which were broken off in late 1992. However, foreign=ministry officials are concerned any hasty attempt to pursue>talks with North Korea could risk Japan's broader interest onsome important points.B   A North Korean delegation will visit Japan next week for talks>with Japanese coalition officials to discuss ways of resuming>long-stalled talks aimed at normalizing diplomatic relations.A   During their stay from November 24th through December fourth,@the four delegation members are expected to meet officials from*Japan's ruling (three) coalition parties.A   Japan's coalition lawmakers believe that last month's nuclear=accord between the United States and North Korea effectivelyAremoved the final roadblock to normalization talks between Tokyoand Pyongyang.B   The normalization talks broke down in November of 1992 because?the two governments were widely divided on a number of issues.;   Japan's foreign ministry basically welcomes the idea ofBresuming talks with North Korea, the only nation with which Japanhas no official relations.A   However, foreign ministry officials and some ruling coalitionApoliticians express concern about any hasty move toward resumingAtalks before working out Japan's negotiation stance on the termsof normalization.?   Japanese officials worry North Korea may seek to dust off a"joint declaration issued in 1990.<   The declaration was issued jointly with the North Korean<workers party by Japanese politicians from the then-ruling,Aliberal Democratic Party and the then-main opposition, SocialistParty in Pyongyang.9   The declaration called for Tokyo to provide financial?compensation for Japan's colonial rule of the Korean PeninsulaAfrom 1910 to 1945. It also sought compensation for what it calls<the losses suffered by the Korean people during the postwaryears.8   During the failed talks, North Korea insisted on the<declaration. Although Japan rejected the demand for postwarAcompensation, it is discussing how to handle colonial-era claimsfor North Korean property.   ---------------   ---------------#   UN ON IRAQ'S KUWAIT RECOGNITION   ELAINE JOHANSON   UNITED NATIONSA   The United Nations Security Council Wednesday welcomed Iraq's?formal recognition of Kuwait, calling it a significant step in@meeting the 1991 Gulf War ceasefire terms.  Iraq invaded KuwaitBin August, 1990 and has been under a strict economic embargo eversince.@   The Security Council issued a statement and sent a letter to8president Saddam Hussein saying it would monitor Iraq'sAcompliance with the decision, taken in Baghdad last Thursday, to@recognize Kuwait.  Diplomats say there are practical actions to?follow, such as whether Iraq will stop teaching in its schools"that Kuwait is its 19th province.<   Iraq's Deputy Prime Minister Tariq Aziz Monday submittedBdocuments to the council showing Iraq had recognized Kuwait as an6independent nation within U.N. demarcated boundaries.B   It took the Security Council two days to work out the language>of the letter to Baghdad, amid signs that members are dividedBover the eventual easing of sanctions.  Russia and France believe>compliance with weapons demands and the recognition of KuwaitAshould be enough for the council to at least lift a ban on Iraqi>oil sales next year.  The United States and Britain want full%compliance with all ceasefire terms.   ---------------   ---------------8   POSSIBLE CHANGE IN U.S. POLICY TOWARD CUBAN REFUGEES
   DON HENRY   WASHINGTON;   There are conflicting reports about whether the Clinton@administration may change its policy toward Cuban refugees heldAat the U.S. military base at Guantanamo Bay in Cuba. The head ofAthe immigration agency Wednesday denied a decision has been made>to allow thousands of Cubans to leave the base for the UnitedBStates, although the State Department says the situation is underreview.A   U.S. newspapers are reporting that the Clinton administration;intends to let as many as three thousand children and five@thousand of their relatives or guardians leave refugee quarters/at Guantanamo and settle in the United States.A   According to the New York Times and Washington Post,  unnamed<administration officials say the decision will be announced@within a few days.  But Doris Meissner, head of the ImmigrationBand Naturalization Service, has debunked  these reports at a newsconference in Washington.>   "I don't know where that came from," says Meissner.  "ThatBcertainly is not a decision that's been made, and it's, as far asAmy understanding is concerned, there is not any change where the+parole policy of Guantanamo is concerned.";   The Cuban refugee policy was established in August whenBPresident Clinton pledged not to allow any boat people, includingBCubans, picked up by the U.S. Coast Guard to resettle directly in>the United States.  In exchange, the Cuban government said it>would halt what had been a booming exodus from Cuban beaches.B   Few Cubans have tried to flee the island since then. But aboutB24-thousand Cuban refugees remain at Guantanamo and another eight%thousand are being housed in panama.@   In October, the White House said about 300 children, elderly9or seriously ill refugees at Guantanamo would be grantedBpermission to come to the United States under an emergency parolepolicy.?   A State Department spokesman confirms the administration is=concerned about the lack of schooling and other humanitarianBconsiderations involving the refugee children in particular.  TheBspokesman says the situation is under review, and no deadline hasbeen set for any decision.?   Watching closely is the politically powerful Cuban-American?national foundation, which wants the White House to expand the=categories of people who will be paroled from Guantanamo and+allowed direct entry to the United States.   ---------------   ---------------F   MEXICAN ATTORNEY GENERAL CITES INTERFERENCE OF ASSASSINATION PROBE   LAWRENCE KOOTNIKOFF   MEXICO CITY@   Accusations are flying in the investigation of the September@assassination of a top member of Mexico's ruling party. The manBin charge of the investigation has accused top party officials ofhindering his probe.A   The accusations by Deputy Attorney General Marlo Ruiz Massieu@came in a television interview late Monday.  Mario Ruiz MassieuBis the brother of Jose Francisco, who was shot dead in his car onSeptember 28.@   Jose Francisco Ruiz Massieu was the Secretary General of theAruling Institutional Revolutionary Party, known as the PRI.  AndBhis brothers accusations carried on the pro-government TV network=Televisa have only served to fuel conspiracy theories and he
named names.>   Mario Ruiz Massieu said Ignacio Pichardo Pagaza, the PRI's@national president and the party's new secretary general, MariaBde Los Angeles Moreno have hindered his probe.  He said they wereBmore concerned with defending the criminals than with solving hisbrother's murder.A   He claimed the murderers were within the party.  Mr. Pichardo<angrily denied the charges.  Mario Ruiz Massieu has said he>believes his brother's killing was politically motivated, and=that high ranking political figures were involved.  Thirteen>people have been arrested so far, including triggerman Daniel	Aguilar.B   Still at large is a former PRI congressman, Manuel Munoz Rocha6has been named as the mastermind in the killing.  The7assassination came six months after the killing of PRI-presidential candidate Luis Donaldo Colosio.?   Recently the party has moved to make Mexican elections more=democratic and to separate the PRI from the government,  butApolitical observers say the PRI is divided over how fast and how@far to go.  In any case, Mario Ruiz Massieu's charges show that=Mexico is becoming more open.  A few years ago no government;official would have dared to make such public accusations.   ---------------   ---------------6   NIGERIAN MILITARY LEADER ABACHA 1 YEAR ANNIVERSARY   WILLIAM EAGLE   WASHINGTON@   Nigerian military leader general Sani Abacha Marks his first;year in power today.  He replaced the short-lived civilianAadministration of Ernest Shonekan whose government emerged after&presidential elections were annulled.=   Some observers say the chances that general Abacha [pron.BAh-bah-chah] can lead Nigeria to civilian rule have improved. The=collapse of the recent strikes against military rule and theAdetention of opposition leader Chief Moshood Abiola have damaged(the resistance to the military leaders.;   General Abacha says he'll announce a time-table for newBelections, after a constitutional conference finishes its work in	January.?   But other Nigerians are skeptical about General Abacha, and2the sincerity of his desire to end military rule.6   The Anglican bishop of Abuja, Peter Akinola [pron. Ah-kih-noe-lah], is one critic:A   "There is nothing to celebrate or rejoice about.  If anythingAat all, Nigeria has gone from the frying pan to the fire (bad toAworse).  More and more of our people are lacking what to eat and8what to do and we are becoming more and more hopeless."@   Bishop Akinola says he does not believe the Abacha dominated>constitutional conference will put the country on the road todemocracy:@   "No, this constitutional conference has been put together toAbuy time, to enable [the military] to settle down in government.;The conference has nothing to do,  they are all a bunch of?rogues.  [The military government] pays them bribes on a daily;basis, and everything they do is based on the tele-guiding<[direction] of those who put them there.  The military boys>sponsoring this conference are the same boys who will put the>constitution aside at their convenience.  There is nothing to%hope for in it.  It is all fallacy."?   Bishop Akinola is equally critical of the country's civlianApoliticians.  He says they're obsessed with self-advancement and
opportunism:>   "The same disease wracking the military has taken over our?civilians.  They are greedy and selfish.  All they want is the;opportunity to grab money for their own selfish interests.?Nobody is there to think about what is good for the country or>the common man in so far as they can grab money for their ownAends.  That is why I am very bitter against both the politicians8and the military.  They are birds of the same feather."<   Bishop Akinola says he believes that when Nigerians have@suffered sufficiently for their sins, a divine power will bring"righteous leaders to the country.?   Tanko Yakasai [tahn-koe yah-kah-sigh], a veteran politician=from Kano State in Northern Nigeria, holds another view.  HeBserved in the country's last civilian administration led by ShehuBShagari (pron. Shay-hoo shah-gah-ree) and now he is a delegate to2the country's constitutional conference In Abuja.A   "To evaluate the first year in office of the present militaryAadministration," says Yakasai, "one has to look back at the time@when the administration came into power.  Like everybody knows,Bthe Abacha administration is a child of circumstance.  It came to<power as a result of the resignation of the chairman of the>interim national government, Chief Ernest Shonekan.  When the=military took over, they took over in a situation of crisis.BThere were five different diametrically opposed positions held by?various Nigerians.  The future of the country was at stake and<there was instability in the country.  Viewing their officeBagainst that background and that normalcy is virtually present in=Nigeria.  One will say their year in office is Marked by the$return of normalcy in the country."B   One-third of Nigeria's constitutional conference was nominated9by the military.  The remaining delegates were chosen in2elections boycotted by many southern politicians.?   Mr. Yakasai rejects suggestions that the military delegates9control the conference agenda.  He recalled that earlierBconstitutional conferences, such as those of 1953, 1957, 1978 and!1989, all had appointed members.B   Yakasai says the current conference is no less legitimate thanthe others:<   "The present one consists of 373 delegates, only 93 wereBnominated (appointed).  Two hundred and twenty or so are elected.<So it would be out of place for anybody to think that those?elected by the people of Nigeria to draw up a new constitution>are opportunistic because they were mandated by the people ofBNigeria, like any member of the American Congress or Senate.  TheBmajority of delegates to the conference were elected by their ownApeople, most of them were elected with one or two people running2against him. So that accusation is out of place.">   Mr. Yakasai said the constitutional conference is the onlyBforum for national dialogue and reconciliation, and therefore the(only hope for civilian rule in Nigeria.   ---------------   ---------------4   PAKISTAN PRIME MINISTER LASHES OUT AT OPPOSITION   DOUGLAS BAKSHIAN
   ISLAMABAD>   In Pakistan, Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto has accused the>opposition of trying to paralyze parliament through violence.?But, in comments to reporters Wednesday, she has also defendedAher treatment of the opposition leader's elderly father, who has-suffered health problems while under arrest.?   Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto lashed out at the opposition,?accusing it of trying paralyze parliament with violence during?Monday's turbulent joint session.  She accused some opposition@parliament members of trying to physically attack the president
and herself.A   She said legal steps will be considered against lawmakers who>tried to use force or the threat of force.  She also said her2government will put forward a new law to seek the=disqualification (removal) of any lawmaker who slaps or hitsanother member.A   She charged the incident in parliament Monday was part of the;opposition's ongoing campaign to bring down the governmentAthrough protests and strikes.  She said the opposition has triedAto paralyze the streets and the trains, and now it has turned onparliament.B   She alleged the opposition had a plan for the next three weeks=to attack and beat individual lawmakers to prevent them fromAgoing to parliament.  She accused opposition leader Nawaz Sharif<of, in her words, turning his fascist focus on the heart ofdemocracy.>   During Monday's session three opposition members were also@injured in a clash with ruling party supporters.  Mr. Sharif, a@former prime minister, accused the government of what he termed"fascist tactics in this incident.<   Ms. Bhutto also said there is no question of freeing Mr.ASharif's elderly father, 75-year-old Mohammad Sharif.  The elder>Sharif was hospitalized Tuesday with heart problems, two days2after his arrest on fraud and income tax charges.B   Ms. Bhutto also claimed Nawaz Sharif's drive to topple her wasBreally aimed at protecting his family's business empire, which is@based on Ittefaq industries.  She said Ittefaq was fraudulently=given to Nawaz Sarif by the late military ruler, General ZiaUl-Haq, under martial law.<   Pakistan's parliament was relatively peaceful Wednesday.<There were complaints from some journalists who had trouble:getting passes to cover recent events.  At one point someAjournalists shout from the press gallery to the lawmakers below.   ---------------   ---------------    PALESTINIAN INDEPENDENCE DAY
   AL PESSIN
   JERUSALEMB   Tuesday, Palestinians Marked their first official independence7day since gaining autonomy in Gaza and Jericho, with a>celebration in Gaza;  clashes with Israeli troops in the WestBBank;  and an unsuccessful attempt to convene the PLO's executivecommittee.A   Thousands of people marched through Gaza and attended a rallyAwhere Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat vowed to continue working>to make Jerusalem the Palestinian capital.  Mr. Arafat blamesAIsrael and donor countries for the continuing widespread poverty8in Gaza, which he says drives people to radical groups.A   Tuesday evening, Mr. Arafat was not able to convene a planned?meeting of the executive committee of the Palestine LiberationAOrganization.  Half of its 18 members did not attend, to protesthis policies.:   Elsewhere, celebrations were low key to mark the sixthBanniversary of the PLO's declaration of Palestinian statehood. AtBa small celebration in the West Bank town, Nablus, Israeli troops@fired on stone-throwing Palestinians, wounding two of them.  In@autonomous Jericho, Palestinian policemen joined residents in a6street celebration.  Also on Tuesday, Israel gave the@Palestinians control of welfare and tourism throughout the West=Bank, but it asked for a postponement of talks on giving theregion full autonomy.   ---------------   ---------------   CEDRAS IN EXILE IN PANAMA   BILL RODGERS   SAN JOSE<   Former Haitian military leader, General Raoul Cedras, is;living quietly in exile in Panama, where friends say he isAwriting his memoirs. Little has been seen of the former military2chief since he arrived in Panama on October 13th.>   General Cedras, his family and army chief of staff General?Philippe Biamby left Port-au-Prince's international airport in=the early hours of October 13th, on a U.S. charter flight to;Panama.  The two men had resigned their posts several days<earlier as part of an agreement that ended military rule inBHaiti, and brought U.S. troops into the country to restore exiled+President Jean Bertrand Aristide to power.6   Generals Cedras and Biamby had played key roles in>overthrowing Mr. Aristide in September, 1991, and later ruledBHaiti from behind the facade of civilian-led governments.  DuringBthe three years of military rule, there was widespread repression<of pro-Aristide supporters and several thousand people wereBkilled. But general Cedras' hold on power effectively ended after@U.S. troops arrived in Haiti on September 19th.  In less than a>month, he resigned as armed forces chief and left Haiti for alife in exile.@   After arriving in Panama, Generals Cedras and Biamby checked=into a hotel close to Panama's international airport.  HotelBpersonnel said the two men hardly ventured out of their room, and>ordered their meals through room service.  After a few weeks,?General Cedras and his family left the hotel and settled in an?apartment in a wealthy section of Panama City.  General Biamby>also checked out of the hotel but his whereabouts is unknown.A   Since moving into his apartment, General Cedras has continued@to keep out of public view.  His only appearance came two weeks7ago when he went to register his name with immigrationAauthorities. Friends say he spends his days writing his memoirs.BThe Reuter News Agency quotes the chief of his security detail asBsaying General Cedras has done some sightseeing around the bay of*Panama and has met some of his neighbors.=   Panama's decision to grant political asylum to the former?military chief has generated criticism.  There were a few tinyAdemonstrations when generals Cedras and Biamby arrived, and some;opposition parties have criticized President Ernesto PerezBBalladares for agreeing to a U.S. request to grant them politicalAasylum.  But Panama has a tradition of granting asylum to former>leaders.  The Shah of Iran went to Panama in 1979 after being<overthrown.  Former Guatemalan President Jorge Serrano, who?unsuccessfully tried to assume dictatorial powers, was granted4asylum in Panama after he was ousted in June, 1993.>   Panamanian officials say general Cedras is free to live in<Panama as long as he wants and to enjoy the rights that all>citizens have.  They say the government is not monitoring his(activities, and feels no need to do so.;   For his part, the former military chief appears to have>settled into a life of quiet obscurity.  However, not all has@gone smoothly in panama for General Cedras and his family.  TheAFrench Lycee in Panama City reportedly has rejected the family's4application to enroll their children in the school.   ---------------   ---------------<   PANETTA DISREGARDS HELMS' REQUEST FOR DELAY ON GATT VOTE   JIM RANDLE   WASHINGTON?   The Clinton administration is fighting to get CongressionalBapproval of the GATT world trade agreement.  A powerful member of=the U.S. Senate is raising questions about the agreement and$worries about its eventual passage.?   White House Chief of Staff Leon Panetta says it is vital to<get U.S. congressional approval of the GATT agreement soon.=   Panetta says delays suggested by Republican Senator Jesse=Helms, the incoming Chairman of the Senate Foreign RelationsCommittee, would be a mistake:=   "Now there are calls to delay it till the next session of=Congress.  Make no mistake about it, delay of GATT means thedeath of GATT.">   Some opposition Republicans, including Senator Helms, haveBsaid they need more time to study the lengthy and complex general agreement on tariffs and trade.=   But in a speech to a business group in Washington, former@Congressman Panetta said there has been enough talk about GATT:<   "In 1994, more than a dozen congressional committees andBsubcommittees have held hearings on this bill. Thousands of hours@have been put into the bill.  So the time has come for a vote."=   Mr. Panetta argues a delay will allow opponents to try toBamend the agreement, forcing its renegotiation with the dozens of%nations that have already signed it.;   Scholar Bill Frenzel studies Congress for the Brookings>Institution in Washington.  The former Republican CongressmanAsays it will be difficult to get enough votes to pass GATT.  But<Mr. Frenzel says the deal will probably be approved becauseBRepublicans generally support free trade and the democratic WhiteBHouse is working hard to win vote from as many democratic membersof Congress as possible.=   That campaign of persuasion was evident Wednesday as ViceBPresident Al Gore told a Washington audience a Congressional voteAon the new world trade accord is critical for U.S. leadership in#the world and must not be delayed.B   And Treasury Secretary Lloyd Bentsen told an audience in a NewBYork suburb that GATT will bring thousands of new jobs to bolsterthat city's economy.   ---------------   ----------------   VATICAN ANNOUNCE POPE WILL TRAVEL TO ASIA   PEGGY POLK   ROMEB   In a sign that the Pope's health may be improving, the Vatican>has announced that John Paul (the second) will make an 11-day@trip to Asia in January. The Roman Catholic Pontiff will returnAto the Philippines, Papua New Guinea, and Australia, and pay hisfirst visit to Sri Lanka.B   Plans for John Paul to return to Asia on his 63rd foreign trip>in 15 years as pope began well before a fall that appeared toleave him in fragile health.>   The 74-year-old Pontiff broke his right thigh bone when he=slipped in his bathroom April 28th. He underwent surgery andspent a month in the hospital.A   He went ahead with a weekend trip to Croatia in September andBhas traveled within Italy, but, acting on his doctors' advice, he?cut back on his schedule and cancelled a scheduled trip to theAUnited States and an address to the United Nations in October to give his leg more time to heal.B   The Asia trip, January 11th through 21st, apparently Marks the<Pope's full recovery.  He will celebrate World Youth Day in=Manila and beatify candidates for sainthood in Port Moresby,Sydney and Colombo.   ---------------   ---------------C   RABIN SAYS SYRIA'S PRESIDENT IS NOT SERIOUS ABOUT SEEKING PEACE   ALAN SILVERMAN   LOS ANGELES?   Israeli prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin says Syria's president=has not shown he is serious about seeking peace. Speaking toBJewish organization leaders Wednesday in Los Angeles, the Israeli9official also blasted what he called Iranian support forinternational terror.B   Prime Minister Rabin says Israel and Syria remain far apart on=significant issues.  According to the Israeli leader, Syrian@President Hafez Assad wants what Egyptian President Anwar SadatBreceived in return for peace, especially total Israeli withdrawalfrom occupied territory.B   But Mr. Rabin maintains Syria's president is not willing to go9as far as the late Egyptian leader did to achieve peace:?   "President assad has not done one percent of what presidentAsadat did to convince the people of Israel that he interested in?peace.  We are a democracy.  In a democracy, government has to9lead .. has to decide, sometimes, to take very unpopular?decisions. But on vital issues that call for sacrifices .. for=taking calculated risks .. There is a need for a partner who<plays his role not only vis-a-vis government, but vis-a-vis*people.  This is the problem with Syria.":   While generally optimistic about eventual accords with<Israel's neighbors and coexistence with Palestinians, Prime;Minister Rabin says Middle East peace is threatened by the;current wave of terror attacks which he blames squarely on&Islamic extremists supported by Iran:A   "These today are the enemies of peace .. Not  Syria, Lebanon,=Jordan or the PLO.  It is the extreme Islamic terror groups.<Iran is behind them.  This is the source of inspiration and?assistance to most of these movements .. Some more, some less.AWhat they want is to stop the peace process.  It is not easy for>me when I am asked by the people of Israel:  "You promised us>peace and you bring terror."  But terror by whom?  Not by our>partners for peace, but by the enemies of peace: The extreme,Islamic radical terror groups.<   Mr. Rabin pledges his government will fight these terror=groups, in his words, "by all means within the limits of thelaw."?   The Israeli prime minister's one-day California agenda alsoAincluded talks with entertainment industry leaders and a beverlyAhills ceremony to receive the third annual Ronald Reagan freedomBfoundation award .. An honor he shares with Jordan's King Hussein?and PLO chairman Yassir Arafat.  Thursday Mr. Rabin travels to:Denver for a national general assembly of American Jewish8organizations before heading to Washington to meet with?administration officials and congressional leaders.  The Prime@Minister says he doubts the Republican takeover of Capitol HillBwill jeopardize Israel's one-point-two billion-dollars in foreignaid from the United States.   ---------------   ---------------<   RUSSIAN ANALYSTS PREDICT U.S./RUSSIAN RELATION WILL COOL   ELIZABETH ARROTT
   MOSCOWA   Two top foreign policy analysts in Russia predict a worseningBof relations between Russia and the United States. The men feel a?Republican-led legislature in the United States will lead to a:more difficult, yet perhaps more realistic, relationship.>   One of the analysts says it is important not to antagonize@U.S. Republicans by overreacting to their victory.  At the same:time, he describes many of those soon to control the U.S.>legislature as well-known aggressive conservatives opposed to1cooperation, disarmament, and many other things.>   This mixed assessment is given by the director of Moscow'sAinfluential U.S.A/Canada institute, Georgy Arbatov.  Mr. ArbatovBsays regardless of the sweeping Republican victory, problems haveBbeen mounting between Russia and the United States for some time.@   However, the Soviet-era foreign policy advisor says tensions=have grown more acute since the elections, in particular the?unilateral U.S. decision to stop enforcing the arms embargo in?the former Yugoslavia.  Russia has blamed the move on domestic@U.S. political pressures.  Mr. Arbatov says the same forces are:at work in slow response by the United States to Russia'smediation efforts with Iraq.<   Mr. Arbatov's comments to journalists in Moscow follow a?warning by Russian President Boris Yeltsin to expect a certain<toughening in U.S./Russian affairs following the Republicansweep.>   Mr. Arbatov calls the U.S. elections a watershed, one that@marks the end of certain stage in bilateral relations.  Namely,<he says, the Republican victory weakens President Clinton's=position, and a weakened U.S. president, Mr. Arbatov argues,>means a less consistent U.S. foreign policy.  He outlines twoBworst case scenarios, one, a more isolationist United States, the>other, an America driven to vigorous, ill-considered actions.@   Another analyst at Mr. Arbatov's institute, Andrei Kortunov,?is also wary of a Republican-controlled congress.  The head of=the research group's U.S. foreign policy department says theBUnited States will likely abandon what he calls its Russo-centricApolicy toward the former Soviet Union and will build closer ties%with other newly-independent states.:   Moreover, Mr. Kortunov says, U.S. Republicans might beBinclined to look, in his words, over President Yeltsin's shoulder@and seek greater contacts with those likely to succeed him.  He<said the United States has traditionally tied itself almost&exclusively to the top man in Moscow.?   Mr. Kortunov says Republicans are also likely to cut aid to9Russia.  He argues conservatives are less likely to fund@humanitarian programs, and in Russia's case, he says, they have>plenty of evidence that what aid has been given has been usedbadly.>   In a sense, Mr. Kortunov says, ties between Russia and the>United States might well become more complex, but at the same>time more realistic.  The analyst argues the new relationship=will better reflect some of the true problems facing the two	nations.   ---------------   ---------------F   250 ELDERLY PEOPLE KILLED FOR THEIR APARTMENTS THIS YEAR IN RUSSIA   ELIZABETH ARROTT
   MOSCOWB   The head of Russia's interior ministry has conceded his forces9have not done enough to tackle crime.  And other RussianBofficials have noted an increasingly tragic aspect of post-Soviet=violence. The rising number of murders of elderly people, by)people who want to get their apartments.?   It was the last thing privatization was supposed to do. TwoAyears ago, when the state began transferring property to privateBhands and Russians were allowed to purchase their own housing, it:seemed this would prove the biggest windfall for ordinary
citizens.0   Yet for hundreds of people, it proved fatal.:   Authorities in Moscow say the elderly are particularly@vulnerable.  Living on pensions worth as little as 50 dollars a:month, some own apartments now worth tens of thousands of?dollars.  Criminal groups posing as legitimate housing brokersBtalk their victims into signing over their property with promisesAof immediate riches.  Police say the offenders particularly like?isolated pensioners.  Once the deal is complete, the criminals/kill them, and no one, they hope, will notice.@   Russia's interior ministry documents only one such apartmentArelated killing in 1992.  This year, there are already more than>250.  The real figure, it says, is probably much higher.  TheBministry says it is not clear how many other murder victims might8have been killed for this reason.  As well, hundreds ofAunidentified bodies lay unclaimed in city morgues, many of whom,4the ministry suspects, are victims of this swindle.A   Moreover, with housing prices skyrocketing in many industrial>cities here in Russia, authorities fear the incidence of thiscrime will continue to climb.>   Moscow police have cracked down on one nominal real estateBfirm they say is responsible for killing 11 people.  The mayor of=Moscow has introduced legislation that will require all real?estate dealers to be registered by next year.  But an interior;ministry spokesman notes lawyers, even policemen have been5implicated in these corrupt and deadly transactions.@   Nor is it only businesses potential sellers need be wary of.<Authorities say another common practice is criminals simply@befriending a lonely person or alcoholic in their neighborhood.?They, too, promise help in getting money by exchanging housingBfor a smaller place in a less costly region.  The number of theseAvictims is also not clear.  The interior ministry says of peopleAregistered as leaving Moscow for apartments in other cities this.year, 300 never arrived at their destination.   ---------------   ---------------   SIERRA LEONE ABDUCTIONS   NICK SIMEONE   ABIDJAN>   Two British nationals have been kidnapped by rebels in the;West African nation of Sierra Leone. British officials sayAsearches for the two aid workers over the past nine days have sofar turned up nothing.A   The two British nationals were reported missing after a rebel@raid in the northern town of Kabala.  British officials believe>the two are being held by rebels but know nothing about their condition or their whereabouts.=   The two men were in the West African nation as volunteers@working on development projects for Britain's voluntary serviceAoverseas, which is similar to the American Peace Corps.  British>officials say they have no information that might explain why$these two volunteers were abducted.A   Sierra Leonean troops have been searching the area where they<disappeared but so far they have turned up nothing.  In theBmeantime, all other British volunteers in the West African nation?have been withdrawn to the capital Freetown as a precautionary	measure.;   Rebels backed by Liberian militia leader Charles Taylor?invaded Sierra Leone three years ago.  The on-going insurgencyAled to the 1992 military coup that ousted the country's civilianBgovernment. Head of state Captain Valentine Strasser has vowed toAbring the insurgency to an end but lack of discipline within the@military remains a problem.  On Saturday, 12 soldiers convicted?of crimes including violent robbery and collaborating with the*rebels were put to death by firing squad.   ---------------   ---------------+   TAIWAN POLICY CHANGE ON TRAVEL TO CHINA   JASON BLATT   TAIPEI, TAIWAN;   Taiwan Wednesday broke its decades-old ban on travel toAmainland China by high-ranking government officials. The ban wasAtemporarily lifted, on humanitarian grounds, to allow a grandson=of the late Taiwan leader Chiang Kaishek to visit his ailingbrother in Beijing.?   Since tension between long-standing rivals Taiwan and ChinaAstarted to ease in the late 1980's, millions of Taiwan residents=have made private visits to China.  Employees from the lower@ranks of government agencies have also been permitted to visit,>after obtaining official permission.  Most of the visits haveAreunited families divided since 1949, when communists took power0in China and nationalist forces fled to Taiwan.<   Until Wednesday, Taiwan continued to forbid high-ranking8officials from visiting China for any reason, except toAparticipate in meetings of international organizations.  But the?policy was changed after Winston Chang, the brother of cabinetAminister John Chang, was rushed to a Beijing hospital Monday foremergency treatment.A   The policy change, approved by the cabinet, follows calls forAleniency made by Taiwan's president and premier.  The government;says the policy has been revised so that even high-ranking?government ministers will be allowed to make private visits to*China in the event of similar situations.B   Before boarding an aircraft bound for Hong Kong, on the way toABeijing, John Chang told reporters he is making his visit solely0in his capacity as a relative of Winston chang.B   Winston chang is president of Taiwan's Soochow University.  HeBwas visiting Beijing to attend an academic seminar.  He was found;unconscious in his hotel room Monday and rushed to a local2hospital for treatment for a cerebral hemorrhage.>   Doctors in the Beijing hospital treating Winston chang areAreported to have said his chances of survival are slim.  DoctorsBfrom Taiwan have already arrived in Beijing and begun cooperating5with Chinese specialists in administering treatment.   ---------------   ---------------F   COURT-MARTIAL RECOMMENDED IN SHOOTDOWN OF U.S. HELICOPTERS IN IRAQ   DAVID SWAN   PENTAGONA   A military investigator is recommending court-martial for one=of those charged in the accidental shootdown of two American?helicopters in Iraq this past april.  P The incident killed 268people, including U.S. and allied personnel and Kurdishpassengers.?   The investigating officer, who fills the role of a civilian;grand jury, is urging a general court-martial for one man,Bcaptain Jim Wang.  He calls on the air force to give non-judicial>punishment to a second officer and drop charges against threeothers.@   All five men were aboard the surveillance plane watching the?skies over northern Iraq when two U.S. fighter jets mistakenly?shot the helicopters down during a flight to Kurdish villages.=The five are charged with dereliction of duty for failing to>track the helicopters' flight or warn the fighter pilots theywere friendly.?   The investigators' report now goes to a commanding general,7who can approve or disapprove his recommendations.  If?court-maritaled and found guilty, captain wang could be jailed+for a year and dismissed from the service.A   A separate investigation is still underway in the case of one>of the fighter pilots involved.  He is charged with negligent2homicide and could face up to 26 years in prison.   ---------------   ---------------   U.S. INFLATION   JOE SUMMERS   WASHINGTON?   The U.S. Government says the nation's inflation rate postedBits smallest increase in six months during October and the annualAinflation rate is below last year's. The low inflation rate will;give fresh ammunition to critics of the U.S. central bank.7   The U.S. Labor Department says the nation's primary@measurement of inflation, the consumer price index, edged up byAjust one-tenth of one percent in October.  The tiny increase was8due to falling energy prices and moderating food costs.>   So far this year, retail inflation is growing at an annualBrate of two-point-six percent, or one-tenth of a percentage point%below the rate for all of last year.B   The report, following action by the U.S. central bank to raiseBkey interest rates to the banking system for the sixth time since@February,  focused criticism on the central bank.   The central8bank raised the fed funds rate and the discount rate by>three-quarters of one percent on Tuesday.  Monetary officials8said the rate hike was due to concerns about inflation.=   The chairman of the Joint Economic Committee of Congress,BMaryland Democratic Senator Paul Sarbanes, said nothing in recentAinflation reports justifies the increase in interest rates.  The;Chairman of the House Banking Committee, Congressman Henry<Gonzalez of Texas, said monetary policy is being crafted to3profit the wealthy while taxing ordinary citizens.A   Treasury Secretary lloyd bentsen was careful to adhere to the=administration's policy of careful comment about the centralbank:;   "Let me say that we recognize the federal reserve as anBindependent agency, and we think they share with us the objective?of solid growth with low inflation.  And that's what is takingBplace.  All the broad indexes that I have looked at do not show a further increase in inflation."=   The administration has predicted economic growth of threeApercent or better this year and two-point-eight percent in 1995.BMr. Bentsen said he believes the economy will continue to grow at6a faster rate, even with the the interest rate hikes:@   "I think that what you are going to see with the increase in:productivity and major investment by American business in@equipment that we are going to have a bit more capacity than wehave estimated in the past."=   A record level of factory capacity utilization and higherBproductivity were factors weighed by the central bank in boostingBinterest rates.  Those central bank increases were quickly passed>along to businesses and consumers in the form of a prime rate(increase to eight and one-half percent.=   In separate reports Tuesday, The Commerce Department said=business inventories rose for the seventh consecutive months9while business sales fell for the first time since July.<Offsetting the small rise in the consumer price index was aBone-point-five percent gain in inflation-adjusted earnings during	October.   ---------------   ---------------/   REACTION TO INCREASE IN U.S. INTEREST RATES   VICTOR BEATTIE   WASHINGTONB   The Clinton administration is clearly disappointed the Federal:Reserve Board chose to raise short-term interest rates by:three-quarters of one point to five and one-half percent.BHowever, while the administration avoided direct criticism of the=decision labor activists denounced it as a job-killing move.>   President Clinton, winding up his trip to Indonesia, would9only say he believes the Federal Reserve, an independentBgovernment agency, would do its best to keep the current economicrecovery going.@   His White House Chief of Staff Leon Panetta, who met Tuesday?with the Republican leadership of the incoming 104th Congress,1promised to watch what effect the rate hike has:B   "We do believe the economy is strong that inflation is low and>we're going to continue to monitor the economy to ensure that8there is no retreat in terms of the economic recovery."B   Treasury Secretary Lloyd Bentsen also refrained from criticism?insisting the economy remains strong with investment expansionAcontinuing, employment and productivity up and modest inflation.;   Out-of-work protesters in Washington, led by democratic3Senator Byron Dorgan, denounced the bank's action:B   "Are their too many people working in America as the fed wouldhave us believe?"?   The Federal Reserve, in a statement justified its action asAnecessary to keep inflation in check.  But some analysts say the@federal reserve is misreading the economy and could cause it tostall into recession.   ---------------   ---------------5   UKRAINE APPROVES NUCLEAR NON-PROLIFERATION TREATY   ELIZABETH ARROTT
   MOSCOW@   After many delays, Ukraine's parliament finally has approved=the nuclear non-proliferation treaty. The acceptance follows=months of intense pressure by the Ukraine government and the.west, and that it comes with some conditions.<   Ukraine's parliament voted overwhelmingly to approve the=treaty, paving the way for the world's third largest nuclear@power to be free of nuclear weapons by the turn of the century.@   Approval had long been blocked by conservative lawmakers whoBfeared a loss of security and prestige if Ukraine were to give up=its nuclear arsenal.  As it is, ratification comes with some<conditions, including promises of international help shouldUkraine come under attack.?   Both Ukraine's president, Leonid Kuchma, and leaders in theBUnited States have been urging ratification, stepping up pressure>before a visit soon by Mr. Kuchma to Washington.  Ukraine has?already joined with the United States and Russia to reduce itsnuclear arsenal.A   Ukraine will formally sign the non-proliferation treaty early7next month at a meeting of the council on security andcooperation in Europe.   ---------------   ---------------'   VATICAN HIGH OFFICIAL TO VISIT CUBA   PEGGY POLK   ROME@   The pope has dispatched a high Vatican official on a mission>to Cuba. French Cardinal Roger Etchegoray is expected to meet9with government officials as well as church authorities.B   Vatican sources reported Cardinal Etchegoray's trip to Cuba onAa Papal mission without disclosing any details about the purpose@of his visit, how long he will stay, or with whom he will meet.>   But the trip renewed speculation that pope John Paul II is?planning to travel to Cuba himself in 1995 or 1996. The island>state is the only country in the Americas that has never beenvisited by a pope.?   Cardinal Etchegoray heads the Pontifical Council on Justice?and Peace as well as the council that coordinates Catholic aidthroughout the world.B   On his previous trips to Cuba he has met with officials of the>communist state as well as with leaders of the Roman Catholic+church, and he is expected to do so again.@   The Vatican has called repeatedly in recent years for an end@to the U.S. Backed economic blockade of Cuba on grounds that it@is threatening the health of Cubans, especially of children and
the elderly.   ---------------   ---------------#   HOUSE MEMBERS VISIT WEST AFRICA   NICK SIMEONE   ABIDJAN?   A U.S. congressional delegation is on a five-nation tour of?West Africa to examine the political and security situation in>the region.  Key members of the House Subcommittee on African?Affairs are concerned about events in several countries in the6region, including Ivory Coast, which is preparing for"presidential elections next year.B   Congressman Harry Johnston is leading the delegation, which is5clearly concerned about next year's presidential andAparliamentary election in Ivory Coast.  The election will be the<first time that opposition parties will be able to strongly@challenge the status quo following the death last year of FelixBHouphouet Boigny, who had served as president since independence.B   Last month, U.S. deputy Secretary of State Strobe Talbott leftAIvory Coast without a clear commitment from Ivorian officials to@permit outside observers to monitor the polling, which is being?described as the country's first true test of democratic rule.8   According to Congressman Johnston his delegation has*apparently received no commitment either:>   "We look upon the elections next year as probably the mostBimportant in the history of this country.  We have encouraged theAminister of interior to allow international observers to come in7and monitor the elections before, during and after theelections."<   Nigeria has been another trouble spot for U.S. policy inBAfrica since the country's military government voided last year'sAdemocratic elections and extended army rule.  In July, President@Clinton sent civil rights activist Jesse Jackson to Nigeria forBdiscussions on a quick return to democracy.  But Nigeria's rulers@have yet to announce a date for such a transition.  CongressmanAWilliam Jefferson is part of the delegation that is scheduled to@be in Nigeria on Thursday, the one-year anniversary of the coup+that brought general Sani Abacha to power.>   Jefferson has been leading the charge in the Congressional5Black Caucus to get Nigeria's army to give up power:B   "It would be my hope that we can have the government officials2talk seriously in terms of a timetable to move todemocratization.":   But it's been Liberia that has been West Africa's most?intractable problem.  Numerous peace agreements have failed to<end a nearly six-year-old civil war that has left more thanB150-thousand people dead.  The Congressional delegation cancelled<a visit to Liberia, saying conditions at the airport in the=capital, Monrovia, made landing their 737 jet too dangerous.   ---------------   ---------------?   AMNESTY CRITICIZES TRIAL OF FORMER KENYAN PARLIAMENT MEMBER   CHRISTINE FURNELL
   LONDON=   Amnesty International has accused authorities in Kenya of@harassing government critics, including human rights activists,?members of political opposition groups, and journalists.  In a>report released to coincide with Kenyan President Daniel Arap<Moi's visit to Britain, the London-based human rights group>focuses on the trial currently underway of a prominent Kenyan9government critic whom aMnesty believes is a prisoner ofconscience.>   The trial of former member of parliament Koigi Wa Wamwere,Aaccording to amnesty, is part of a new and disturbing pattern of"harassment by Kenyan authorities.=   Mr. Wamwere is a prominent government critic charged with@attempted robbery and violence and could face the death penaltyif convicted.@   Critics  of the government in Kenya are usually detained for)short periods and then released on bail.?   But in recent months, Amnesty researcher Hilery Fisher says8political prisoners increasingly face criminal charges:A   "It appears to be an abusive use of the law to detain criticsAusing criminal charges who would otherwise obtain bail.  What isBparticularly concerning about these charges is that they face the(mandatory death sentence if convicted."?   Since the trial of Koigi Wa Wamwere and three co-defendants@began in April, it has been attended regularly by internationalobservers.<   Fisher says a number of serious concerns relating to theAfairness of the trial have been raised, most importantly the useBof torture to extract confessions, as well as the court's refusal1to accept the defendants as political prisoners:@   "The reason that Koigi Wa Wamwere and his co-defendants haveAreceived such prominence is that we believe, and others believe,Bthat they are actually political prisoners.  We have adopted themBas prisoners of conscience because we believe the charges againstBthem have been fabricated, and what is of particular concern here9is that criminal charges appear to be being used againstBpolitical opponents, critics of the government, who have actually6been non-violent, but it is a way of detaining them."7   Amnesty says the trial of Mr. Wamwere and his threeBco-defendants is very much a test case.  If they are found guiltyAand sentenced to death, the human rights group says it will have=serious implications for the freedom of expression in Kenya.   ---------------   ---------------A   A HUMAN RIGHTS GROUP CALLS FOR AN ARMS EMBARGO AGAINST ANGOLA   LUISA PIETTE   WASHINGTONB   A U.S. based human rights organization accuses both parties in9the Angolan conflict of trampling human rights since theBmultiparty elections held in September, 1992.  Human rights Watch<said in a report issued today an international arms embargoBshould be imposed on Angola and U.N. human rights monitors should=be sent there.  There is already an arms embargo against therebel forces.?   The report examines Angolan peace arrangements and condemns8what it calls a steady supply of weapons flowing to the(government and opposition UNITA forces.B   The report says about 100,000 civilians have been killed since@the conflict resumed after the elections in 1992.  An agreement<leading up to those elections interrupted the war which was?resumed after the rebels were dissatisfied with the results ofthe voting.;   According to human rights watch, when government forces;resumed the fighting they engaged in indiscriminate aerielAbombardment of population centers, torture and summary execution9of civilians. The organization's report also accused the8government of using children in its armed forces and of)disrupting international relief efforts.@   Human rights watch leveled similar charges against the UNITABrebels.  The report said in addition to shelling of civilians and<attacking international relief operations, the rebels mined@footpaths and fields, and abducted civilians, including foreignnationals.?   The combatants are said to be close to signing a cease-fire@agreement in the Zambian capital, Lusaka, but the author of the@report, Alex Vines, says the behavior of both parties should bemonitored:?   "Well, Angola is in a point building up to a cease-fire andBwhat we at the human rights watch wanted to remind people is that=the human cost of the conflict is enormous.  And what we areAparticularly keen on is seeing that a cease-fire agreement, when?it is signed, and we anticipate one shortly, is that there are8international monitors employed to monitor human rightsdevelopments."A   A former U.N. representative to Angola, Dame Margaret Anstee,@who oversaw the implementation of the previous peace agreement,agreed with that point:B   "The signing of a peace agreement is only the beginning of the<process and it will be very important to see that all theseBwrongs, these terrible breaches of human rights are not repeated.@It is important that the international community should move in8and should really assist.  So I think they should go inBimmediately.  I do not think that you can separate the protection?of human rights from the consolidation of the peace process inits entirety."=   A peace agreement signing ceremony had been scheduled for9Tuesday but was postponed because of continued fighting.>   Mr. Vines urged an international arms embargo against both&parties even if agreement is reached:A   "Angola is a country that has seen massive imports of weaponsBsince the September, 1992, elections.  Our estimate is that threeBand one-half billion dollars of weapons have been imported by the7government and the government used these weapons in anAindiscriminate fashion bombing cities and with UNITA, in return,shelling indiscriminately."?   The report accuses Portugal and Russia of supplying arms to<the Angolan government.  Those two countries along with the>united states are sponsors of the Angolan peace process.  The;report mentions other countries has having overt or covert>involvement in the Angola arms trade, including Brazil, North?Korea and Spain.  The U.N. ordered an arms embargo against the<UNITA forces in September, 1993, but apparently it has beenporous.   ---------------   ---------------   APEC DECLARATION   DAN ROBINSON   JAKARTA?   Leaders of some of the world's most-powerful economies haveAagreed on a plan to create a vast free-trade area and achieve itAin no more than 25 years. Leaders of APEC (Asia-Pacific EconomicACooperation Forum) meeting in Bogor, Indonesia, issued what theyBcall a declaration of common resolve, describing the organization=as a leading force in advancing global trade and investment.=   Meeting in the lush, tropical setting of Bogor outside of>Jakarta, Indonesia's booming capital, APEC achieved what many)thought was impossible a few months ago.<   The informality of the summit no doubt smoothed over any?remaining differences over the agreement, which had, in fact ,2been hammered out in ministerial talks last week.A   Indonesia's President Suharto says the agreement fulfills the;vision described by APEC last year in Seattle, recognizing<growing interdependence between diverse economies toward anAsia-Pacific community:   (English translation)=   "The long-term objective of intensifying closer trade andBinvestment cooperation in the Asia-Pacific is open and free trade=and investment in Asia Pacific.  The advanced countries will;achieve this objective no later than the year 2010 and the3developing countries no later than the year 2020.">   Members concerned about a possible conflict between APEC'sBfree-trade goals and the uruguay round of GATT (General Agreement9on Tariffs and Trade) were apparently satisfied with theBdeclaration's support for the new World Trade Organization (WTO).@   The leaders also registered what they call strong oppositionBto the creation of an inward-looking trading bloc.  They say APEC:will seek to bring down trade barriers between itself andnon-APEC economies.C   In the end, all of the APEC members signed on to the agreement,<despite doubts by some about a free-trade goal.  Support by8China and Japan, in particular, was considered crucial.@   Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad, who boycotted the:Seattle summit to protest what he saw as U.S. attempts to:dominate weaker countries, apparently went along as well.A   For President Clinton, battered at home by political problems0the Bogor declaration can be seen as a victory.?   U.S. officials saw a successful APEC as part of a so-called?triple play, including hoped for Congressional approval of the:GATT agreement and an summit of the Americas in December.   ---------------   ---------------$   BENTSEN SPEAKS ON INTEREST RATES   VICTOR BEATTIE   WASHINGTON;   U.S. Treasury Secretary Lloyd Bentsen acknowledges U.S.<economic growth needs to be slowed moderately, but cautions<against too sharp a rise in interest rates.  Victor Beattie>reports the secretary's comments came on the eve of a Federal<Reserve Board meeting that could result in the U.S. central1bank's sixth hike in short-term rates this year.@   Secretary Bentsen says inflation remains low and the economyAhas not yet fully absorbed previous interest-rate hikes. He says@the problem the federal reserve faces is maintaining control of-inflation without dampening economic growth.A   Analysts expect the federal reserve's policy-making committee;will increase short-term rates by at least one-half point.:Secretary Bentsen says the Markets appear to have taken a@potential increase into account.  He was referring to long-term=interest rates which have risen in recent weeks, while stock;values have declined in anticipation of another rate hike.B   Mr. Bentsen, pointing to annual economic growth of about three@percent and rising employment, says inflation is not a problem.@The treasury secretary also says the Federal Reserve shares theAsame objective of the Clinton administration, continued economicgrowth with low inflation.=   Some analysts also expect another interest rate hike nextAmonth or early next year.  They say the Federal Reserve wants to@make sure inflation is kept at about a two-and-one-half percent
annual rate.   ---------------   ---------------'   CATHOLIC BISHOPS MEET IN WASHINGTON   JENNIFER O'NEIL   WASHINGTONB   United States Roman Catholic bishops are meeting in WashingtonBthis week.  Conference participants have been tackling some tough@issues for the church. They include how to confront the growing8culture of violence in the United States and the world,>guidelines for ethical medical care and the problem of sexualabuse by some clergy.<   At the 48th meeting of American Catholic bishops, church=leaders introduced a new book called "Peacemaking: Moral andAPolicy Challenges for a New World." The book addresses the moral@dimension of major issues in post cold war U.S. foreign policy,9including humanitarian intervention, economic sanctions,8religious, ethnic and nationalist conflicts and nuclearBproliferation.  It includes the work of some 25 leading ethicists=and foreign policy experts, notably former national securityadviser, Zbigniew Brzezinski.>   Bishop Daniel Reilly explained the importance of this workduring a news conference:?   "What unites the essays in peacemaking is a conviction that>the challenges facing the world today demand three responses.AFirst, the United States must be actively engaged in solving the<world's problems.  Second, the United States should work toBreform and strengthen international organizations, especially theBunited nations, as part of broader efforts to promote a more just>and stable international order. Third, and most important, anAeffective and credible U.S. foreign policy requires more seriousAattention to the role of religion in world affairs.  And must be0guided by a more acute sense of moral purpose."9   In the domestic arena, the bishops have devoted their9attention to health care and social policy.  Monday, theAconference criticized the Republican Party's call for sharp cutsAin welfare programs, saying it is the children who would be most?adversely affected.   The bishops said they believe government@has an obligation to take care of those who cannot take care ofthemselves.<   Wednesday, the bishops will present its report on how to=revise church policy on dealing with sexual abuse by clergy.BUnofficial estimates suggest that one-to-three percent of priests<have committed acts of pedophilia. In their new policy, theBbishops stress that the church needs to promptly help the alleged>victims of sexual abuse first and then do what it can for theabuser.;   The session wraps up Thursday with a debate and vote onAethical and religious directives for Catholic health care in the&face of advancing medical technology.   ---------------   ---------------8   U.S. OFFICIALS TRY TO IMPROVE CHINA AIRLINES' SAFETY   DAVID DYAR   BEIJINGA   U.S. officials are trying to help China improve the safety ofits airline system.@   The head of the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration says he?wants China and the United States to increase collaboration onaviation issues.B   U.S. official David Hinson told reporters in Beijing there are<four main areas in which the two countries can cooperate on
aviation.:   The first is to help strengthen China's civil aviation?administration so it can have the power and funding to enforce:safety standards of airlines and equipment manufacturers.?   He says he also wants to help China's civilian and militaryAair traffic control system to coordinate their efforts.  Much of>China's airspace cannot be used for foreign civilian aircraft$because of security considerations.?   However, Mr. Hinson says America's experience is that fearsAover the national security in relation to civil aviation are out<of date concept.  He says, if China's skies were more open,=foreign air carriers would be able to fly more direct routes@between Asia and Europe.  He says a recent agreement on opening<an air corridor over China to Russia is a step in the rightdirection.A   Last month, the U.S. Defense Secretary initiated an agreement2with Chinese officials to cooperate in this area.:   The U.S. official says the United States also wants toAcooperate with China in the use of satellite navigation systems.=He says this would help China ease some of the congestion in5flight corridors in the eastern part of the country.:   He says the United States is also working with ChineseBofficials to help the country improve security at airports and on?airlines, as well helping in the area of airport construction.B   Over the past few years, China has had a number of air crashes>which have raised questions about the safety of the country'scivil aviation system.A   American and Chinese aviation officials are scheduled to signBagreements on areas of cooperation Wednesday and may hold further1high-level discussions in Washington next month.   ---------------   ---------------2   CLINTON AIDES MEET WITH NEW REPUBLICAN LEADERS   PAULA WOLFSON   CONGRESS@   Top Clinton administration officials are holding their first?meetings with the newly elected Republican leaders of the U.S.?Congress. One week after the voters had their say, White House@Chief of Staff Leon Panetta went to Capitol Hill for an initial=round of talks with Senator Robert Dole and Congressman Newt
Gingrich.B   When the new Congress convenes in January, Robert Dole will beAthe Senate Majority Leader and Newt Gingrich will be the Speaker?of the House.  Together, they personify the dramatic political0transformation taking place in the legislature.B   They are emboldened by a new public opinion survey which showsBmost Americans believe the new Republican-dominated Congress, and?not the Clinton White House, should determine national policy.A   Congressman Gingrich cites the poll results at all his publicBappearances as proof the Republicans now have a strong mandate to@govern.  It is the White House, he says, which must compromise.<   For their part, administration officials are signaling a:willingness to work with the Republicans to the degree asApossible.  And that was the theme sounded by Chief of Staff LeonAPanetta as he sat down to meet with the Republican leadership onCapitol Hill.@   "Basically, the purpose of this meeting is a courtesy call,"Asaid Panetta, "to indicate our willingness to cooperate with theBnew leadership in trying to keep the country strong and trying to:make sure we keep the economic recovery going and protect$ordinary citizens in this country."9   Mr. Panetta said President Clinton will meet with the?Republican leadership when he returns to Washington next week.:   But Senator Dole downplayed the notion of an immediate;"summit", several days of intense discussions, between Mr.)Clinton and members of the new Congress:B   "I think it is a little premature for a summit.  We are reallyAnot organized yet.  Our people are not here. We had 15 (senators<in Washington) this morning, I had a meeting with 15 of our9colleagues.  We will all be back here later this month."?   The organizational task facing Senate Republicans is tough.ABut the challenge facing House Republicans is far more daunting.8The Republicans last ran the senate in 1986.  They lastcontrolled the House in 1954.A   The head of the Republican house transition team says the job@is far more difficult than he thought it would be.  Congressman4Jim Nussle of Iowa is overseeing all aspects of the;transformation of the House, everything from re-organizing(committees, to allocating office space.:   "This is not easy," says Nussle.  "It is going to be a?challenge.  But i believe based on the people that I have been@working with thus far, staff, members, leadership alike, we are?definitely up to the challenge of changing this place once and
for all."?   Mr. Nussle says his most important task is to make sure the:legislative system is operational when the Republican-ledACongress convenes in early January.  As he puts it:  "We have to?find out how to turn on the lights before we can go to work inthe chamber."   ---------------   ---------------3   REPORT SAYS EU AID TO EASTERN EUROPE WAS WASTED   JOHN FRASER   BRUSSELS>   A new report on European Union aid to Eastern Europe warns<that most of the help was wasted, mismanaged, or subject to?fraud.  The report by the European Union court of auditors was=presented to the European Parliament Tuesday.  It covers theAwhole scope of the European Union's budget from agricultural aid>to grants for countries outside the 12 nation trading bloc to/internal administration of officials expenses.>   The European Union's court of auditors strongly attacks EU5officials for failing to properly manage the Union's=multi-billion dollar budget.  It notes that although several>criticisms were made in an earlier report in 1983, little has%been done to improve administration.?   The report is particularly scathing about EU aid to EasternAEurope.  For instance it reveals that one fifth of the EU budgetAfor technical assistance to Poland last year was swallowed up by<red tape.  And a further 300-thousand dollars of EU aid for6vocational training in Poland was used to finance theconstruction of a building.A   The report shows that because of slow bureaucracy most EU aid;programs in Eastern Europe don't come on line until midwayAthrough the year after they should begin.  Some programs overlap@with others while coordination with the government of recipientAcountries is poor.  Thus the visits of EU nuclear experts to the@Ukraine have become known in the beneficiary country as nuclear	tourism.?   Meanwhile, food aid to Eastern Europe appears to have taken>little account of actual need.  Flour was exported to AlbaniaAlast autumn, although all the grain stores there were full.  And@rye was delivered to Latvia even after the government there hadsaid it was not needed.?   Meanwhile, stale cereals were sent to Lithuania while agingbeef was sent to Albania.<   The report shows that Brussels officials have become too?reliant on outside consultants for work in Eastern Europe.  ItBgives an example of an agricultural expert who was on a lucrative?contract in Kiev, but in fact was carrying out another task in=Moldova under another contract.  Thus the man was being paidAtwice by Brussels for doing two different jobs at the same time.A   The report sums up EU help for Eastern Europe as complicated,9awkward and slow.  It warns EU intervention is sometimes>counter-productive for the reform process, especially for the@newly developing private sector.  This is also largely the casefor food aid.   ---------------   ---------------   EGYPTIAN FLOODS AFTERMATH   LAURIE KASSMAN	   SOHAG@   Nearly two weeks after floods ravaged thousands of homes and?precious topsoil from farmland in Southern Egypt, thousands of8people are still homeless and complaining that officialAassistance has not been enough.  One village on the outskirts ofBthe southern town of Assiut was destroyed when fire from exploded?gasoline storage tanks swept through the streets on top of the@flood waters.  Early estimates said more than 36,000 homes were@damaged or destroyed, but more houses are crumbling as the areadries out.B   Only the birds find a dry place to rest these days in Durunka.AThe village was flattened two weeks ago, first by flood and then?by fire. Only charred ruins remain. More than 400 people died.Thousands more are homeless.@   The government and local mosques have set up tents for those;who do not find shelter with relatives. The government hasApromised to rebuild a new village nearby. Durunka residents justwant to go home.-   The immediate future looks grim for most.B   Sixty-four-year-old Sayeed lost his wife and son in the flood.?His grocery store was swept away. He spends his days searchingfor his belongings in the mud.>   "I'm cleaning up here and looking for things I lost," says@Sayeed, "about a thousand (Egyptian) pounds, there were severalBhundred kilos of sugar and rice  and there was a stock of peanuts@and lentils. And all of this is gone and none of it is left forme."@   Down the muddy street, still littered with coffins washed up@from the nearby graveyard, Mohammed stands on the mud pile that@once housed his family. He has lost 115 members of his extended<family. He is impatient for the government's promised help.<   "I need compensation," says Mohammed.  "I have a tractorBburned out by the burned  factory. I have eight cows. They're all6burned. My house is gone. I need help to start anew."?   Many of the flood victims have been given some money by the@government to bury their dead and buy meager supplies. But many:say it is not enough.  They complain that local officialsAseriously under-estimated the extent of the damage, which slowedArelief efforts. Others blame the government for letting villages#be built in the flood-prone areas.@   The U.S., Japanese and European governments have contributedAhundreds of thousands of dollars in cash and stocks of blankets,9water tanks, and other supplies to help ease the burden.A   Several villagers charge local officials are hoarding donatedBsupplies for themselves or friends rather than giving them to theneediest victims.A   When the governor of Sohag Province made a quick visit to one>devastated village several days after the flooding, residents?screamed at him that nobody had come to help. Two weeks later,they are still complaining.B   Private organizations are helping, too, but Islamic groups are9being discreet.  They embarassed and angered the secular?government after the 1992 earthquauke by being faster and moreefficient.=   Assiut university professor Mohammed Habib belongs to themainstream Moslem brotherhood.@   According to Habib, "we do not trust government or executive?authorities so we take charge of taking these donations to theBreally needy persons because in normal conditions people who have>more access to authorities get donations. We learned from the<1992 lessons of the earthquake. We did not put any signs or@banners. That would maybe embarrass the government and show itslack of performance."?   Farther south, villages in the narrow strip of fertile land?bordering the Nile River were hit by flash floods rushing down>the sandy hills behind them. The water crushed homes, floodedfields and drowned livestock.;   Poor farmers in al-Haggar wonder how they will survive.=   Kamel Eddin Abdullah, a member of the local council says:9   "Most of them are not wealthy people. They are simpleAvillagers and  peasants. Most of them work as daily laborers for>about three (Egyptian) pounds (about 80 U.S. cents) a day. So@there's no way they can rebuild these things. We are waiting to(see what the government can do for us."=   Villagers camped out on the rubble of their homes now are@being plagued by snakes and scorpions that washed down from the>mountainsides. Medical volunteers have treated dozens of bite	victims.A   This week President Hosni Mubarak promised flood victims will8be freed from their debt payments and will receive some?compensation for the animals they lost. But homeless villagers9are skeptical. They want to know when the aid will come.   ---------------   ---------------   SENATE HEARINGS ON GATT   ART CHIMES   WASHINGTON?   The U.S. Senate Tuesday finished up a series of hearings on?the world trade agreement GATT, which is set to be voted on by:Congress in two weeks. The hearing by the Senate Commerce6Committee was something of a preview of debate on thehotly-contested issue.?   The GATT treaty has been a matter of substantial debate and@political division in the United States, and largely because ofAthat, the vote was put off until after last week's Congressional@elections.  Among the arguments: opponents fear the treaty willAcontribute to a loss of American jobs, while GATT supporters say?it will help create jobs as U.S. companies gain access to moreoverseas Markets.A   Senators who attended the hearing questioned veteran New YorkBinvestment banker Felix Rohatyn, who supports GATT.  North Dakota@Democratic Senator Byron Dorgan emphasized the cost of labor inlow-wage countries of Asia.9   But Mr. Rohatyn said the jobs in India, China, or the=Philippines would lead to a demand for American products and?services, leading to a net creation of more jobs in the UnitedStates:>   "Dorgan, most who view a trade agreement like this believeAthat it will lead to more production in less-developed countries@where you can access cheaper labor, especially unskilled labor.AIf that's true, do you believe that's the case?  More production=will occur more easily in areas where you can access cheaper>labor? The way I view this thing, I would think that actually?more consumption will take place in the developing world, that8this thing will be front-loaded, that there will be big=investment, that factories will be built, that roads will be?built.  I mean, this whole question of productivity isn't justAhaving 40 Vietnamese for the price of one American.  It's having>roads, it's having telecommunication systems, it's having all@kinds of other things that go with it.  And it seems to me it's?by having this huge amount of people improve their standard of=living and improve their consumption, which will benefit ourBeconomies because we will be selling into that.  That would be my
view of it."A   The committee's other witness disagreed.  Sir James Goldsmith>is a member of the European Parliament who says multinationalBcorporations are making their investments where the return is theAgreatest.  As a result, big corporations are gaining from trade,Abut not their best-paid workers in places like north America andEurope.;   Sir James Goldsmith says it is free trade that allows aBcompany to build a factory in a low-wage country and freely bring9the products back to Market in the industrialized world:B   "What we are witnessing is the divorce of the interests of the@major corporations and the interests of society as a whole.  It>used to be said that what was good for general motors, we all;believed it; it probably was true, was good for the United#States.  That is  no longer true."?   The betting in Washington is that Congress will approve theAGATT treaty.  But however the vote goes, the issue is certain to!remain a bitterly-contested one.   ---------------   ---------------!   KOHL RE-ELECTED AS CHANCELLOR   DAGMAR BREITENBACH   BONN;   Germany's lower house of parliament, the Bundestag, hasAre-elected Helmut Kohl as chancellor for another four years by a?slim one-vote margin. The close vote echoes the results of the=October national elections, in which Mr. Kohl's center-right1coalition only narrowly defeated the opposition.A   Helmut Kohl has been re-elected as German chancellor with 338Bvotes, just one vote more than the necessary absolute majority ofthe entire parliament.A   A total of 333 deputies voted against Mr. Kohl, three of them/delegates from the chancellor's own coalition.?   The close Bundestag vote could signal difficult times ahead@for the chancellor and his coalition.  Social Democratic leaderARudolf Scharping said the chancellor's coalition continues to be8shaky.  Other opposition politicians have predicted theAchancellor cannot last the full four years of his term with sucha narrow ruling majority.:   But Chancellor Kohl says the slim margin has in no wayBdetracted from his determination to continue to strengthen Germanand European unity.:   Four years ago, Mr. Kohl's coalition had a comfortable>134-seat majority, and re-election was a mere formality.  The<situation has changed radically.  The coalition has a shakyAten-seat majority in the Bundestag, and it would have taken only?four members of Mr. Kohl's coalition to abstain, be absent, or7vote "no" in the first round to deal the chancellor anembarrassing blow.=   Balloting could have been followed by another attempt twoBweeks later if the chancellor had failed to win enough votes.  SoBfar, all German chancellors have won election in the first round.@   While coalition talks on a new four-year policy program haveAbeen completed, Mr. Kohl was careful not to name his new cabinetBbefore re-election.  But he has already announced that the number>of ministries will be reduced from the present 19 portfolios.>   The Liberal Free Democrats, who did poorly in the nationalApoll and have lost representation in all but six of Germany's 16@federal states, will most probably have to give up two of theirfive portfolios.   ---------------   ---------------1   U.S. OFFICER TO HEAD UN PEACEKEEPERS IN HAITI   DAVID SWAN   PENTAGONA   The United Nations Secretary-General has chosen a senior U.S.?army officer to head the U.N. peacekeeping force in Haiti. The@nomination now goes to the Security Council and the U.S. Senatefor final approval.@   General Daniel Schroeder, a combat veteran with more than 30@years in the military, recently served as commander of the U.S.5relief mission in Rwanda.  Secretary-General BoutrosBBoutros-Ghali has now selected him to lead peacekeeping troops in*Haiti, starting sometime early next year.A   The U.N. detachment is expected to include about six-thousand>soldiers, half of them American.  They will take over for the>current, U.S. led multinational force in Haiti, and will stay=until February 1996, when a new Haitian president will be inoffice.@   The Pentagon hopes the appointment will provide for a smooth?transition and head off potential problems in the U.N. command?structure, like those which officials say occurred in Somalia.A   However, the action is being criticized by Republican Senator:Strom Thurmond, the likely chairman of the armed services@committee in the next Congress.  The senator says the move willAprolong the American commitment to  Haiti, on a mission with  no$meaning for U.S. national security.   ---------------   ---------------@   HONG KONG GOVERNOR PREDICTS DEMOCRATIC REFORMS UNDER CHINESE   ALAN SILVERMAN   LOS ANGELES>   The governor of Hong Kong predicts that democratic reforms?will remain in place after 1997 when the bustling crown colonyAreverts from British to Chinese authority.  On a U.S. west coast@tour to promote trade links, the British official spoke Tuesday-to the world affairs council in Los Angeles.;   Governor Christopher Patten brings to American business=investors his message, and hope, that China cannot afford to@reject reforms he and the Hong Kong legislature launched in thepast two years:?   "First, because of the momentum behind Hong Kong's economic;success," says patten.  "It now represents over a fifth ofAChina's GDP [gross domestic product]; China as well as Hong Kong>and the region will want that success to continue.  Secondly,Bbecause I think the people of Hong Kong have a deep commitment to<the values which have helped to make their community such aBdecent and successful place.  I believe that what we have done is8a faithful discharge of our obligations under the jointBdeclaration:  Not pushing forward the process of democratization,@but making that process fair and credible.  I do not think thatis going to change."@   What could change is the leadership in Beijing; but governor@Patten doubts anyone who follows Deng Hsao Ping will be able to@or want to, make good on the threat to reverse democratic stepsin Hong Kong:B   "People in Hong Kong want to make a success of the transition.>Many of them are making real efforts to understand more about>China.  I hope that Chinese officials will make the effort to3learn more .. Understand more .. About Hong Kong.":   Encouraged by participation in Hong Kong's first fully?democratic elections this past September, the British official<predicts even greater voter turnout for next year's planned
election.@   Though discouraged by the stalemate in negotiating Beijing's@backing for continuing the reforms, the Hong Kong governor sayshe has not given up:?   "We have offered cooperation and held out our hand.  I hope<that will be taken by Chinese officials because if we don't@cooperate .. And it does take Chinese officials to cooperate as?well as us .. It will be the people of Hong Kong and China who	suffer."8   Governor Christopher Patten does view positively the@recently-concluded financial arrangement with Beijing for a new5Hong Kong airport.  He hopes such progress convinces>international business leaders that their investments in Hong>Kong will be secure even after the 1997 transition to Chinese
sovereignty.   ---------------   ---------------'   INDIA PROMISES ELECTIONS IN KASHMIR   PETER HEINLEIN
   NEW DELHI?   A U.S. Congressional delegation visiting New Delhi has been,assured that elections will soon be held inB   House Foreign Affairs Asia Subcommittee Chairman Gary Ackerman<says Indian officials admit that holding an election in the+Kashmir region is impossible at this time.>   But at a meeting with reporters Tuesday, Mr. Ackerman said:there is growing confidence in New Delhi that the tide is
changing:@   "We're hopeful there will be a date set soon for an election?in which people will be able to fully and freely participate.":   Kashmir's political leaders have repeatedly refused toBparticipate in any election unless it is supervised by the unitedBnations.  They say an Indian election would reinforce New Delhi's=claim to sovereignty over the disputed Kashmir region, which;India and Pakistan have fought about twice since they were!divided at independence in 1947.@   But Congressman Ackerman says he believes the prospect of an>fair election could bring some of those leaders back into theBIndian political process.  When reminded that India has ruled out:foreign observers as a means of giving credibility to theAoutcome, the Congressman answered, "what is ruled out can alwaysbe ruled back in.":   Congressman Ackerman and two other members of the Asia<Subcommittee will travel to the Kashmiri capital, Srinagar,@Wednesday for a first hand look at the uprising. Their schedule5includes meetings with local human rights activists.@   Indian and international watchdog agencies say violations byBIndian forces in Kashmir have recently increased.  Groups such asAAsia watch have accused the Clinton administration of easing its human rights pressure on india.B   But Congressman Ackerman says his information indicates thingsmay be improving:?   "There have been some complaints.  Some people have told us>the situation has gotten better.  Better is a good indication?that things will continue to get better,  but as long as thereAare abuses of human rights, we will continue to tell our friends8as well as others that we do not find that acceptable."@   The American Congressional visit and other similar visits by?groups from Britain have underscored the growing pressure that?India feels to settle its most embarrassing political problem.?Many Indian analysts have said the massive troop commitment in@Kashmir damages New Delhi's case as it tries to attract foreigninvestment.A   In a pointed reference to the Indian military presence in the?disputed region, one staunchly anti-Indian Kashmiri politician@recently commented that Kashmir appeared to be one giant prisonwith 600,000 guards.   ---------------   ----------------"   INDONESIA'S MULTI-ETHNIC PRIDE
   ED WARNER   WASHINGTON;   While the leaders of the Asian-Pacific countries met in;Jakarta, violence disturbed ever troubled East Timor, thus@demonstrating the strains in the vast archepelago of Indonesia.@   The continuing protests and military crackdown in East TimorAhave focused international attention on Indonesia's human rightsApractices.  They are largely judged unacceptable.  The regime of?President Suharto, now 73, is viewed by many as too repressiveand too long in office.=   At the same time, under this less than perfect democracy,<Indonesia has achieved one of the fastest rates of economicBgrowth in the world, an average six and one-half per cent a year.>This has lifted millions out of poverty and greatly increasedhealth and literacy.@   In the opinion of many, it has also helped bind together theBfar flung 13,000 islands with their ethnic and religious mix thatmake up Indonesia.A   Robert Hefner, professor of anthropology at Boston UniversityBand assistant director of the institute for the study of economic;culture, says Indonesians see themselves as the last great9remaining multi-ethnic society.  It's a matter of pride:A   "They have something that the Soviet Union never did achieve;Athat is, they have at least the beginnings, the solid foundation:for a national culture.  There are regional tensions, but9Indonesia has achieved a shared national language, which=virtually the entire young generation of Indonesians speaks.;That's an extraordinary accomplishment in a world in which?language differences have frequently been politicized and have/been the basis for severe political conflict."?   Unity, says Professor Hefner, exists with diversity.  While;the central government in Jakarta exercises often stiflingBcontrol, as in East Timor, local culture continues to flourish in
most places.9   Benedict Anderson, professor of government at Cornell9University, says Indonesia differs from other developing>countries in that not many of its citizens choose to emigrate#because of attachment to homeland:7   "This tells you something.  You can imagine (formerAPhilippines President Ferdinand) Marcos settling down happily in?New York with Mrs. Marcos.  It's very hard to imagine Suharto,=who has only a high school education, and his wife, not muchAbetter, settling down anywhere in the long run except back home.They're really home people."B   Professor Anderson says Indonesia's biggest problem may be theBdiscontent of the Muslim majority, which objects to the dominance6of Chinese and other groups in business and politics::   "Although the country is nominally 90 per cent Muslim,<actually the Muslims have never had real political power inBIndonesia, and they're feeling this.  I think the thing that is a@bit worrying about the future is the possibility not so much of>ethnic conflict but of conflict between committed Muslims andeverybody else.">   Professor Hefner says Muslim practices in Indonesia differAfrom those in the Middle East, where political strife is endemic?along with anti-western attitudes dating back to the crusades.B   Hefner believes there's a tradition of tolerance in Indonesia:B   "The most prominent people and the most prominent movements in@Indonesia in islam are remarkable for the verve with which theyBdeclare their allegiance to principles of democracy, human rights?and religious tolerance and pluralism.  In my opinion, they're<not just doing that for strategic reasons.  Those attitudes=reflect genuinely held values on the part of the majority ofMuslims in Indonesia."A   Professor Hefner expects tolerance to be sustained as long asAthe economy continues to grow.  In that event, he says, Islam inAIndonesia could set an example for Muslims in other parts of theworld.   ---------------   ---------------D   ISRAEL TURNS OVER CONTROL OF TOURISM AND WELFARE TO PALESTINIANS
   AL PESSIN   RAMALLAH?   Israel has given the Palestinian autonomy authority control?over tourism and welfare services in the occupied West Bank, a=step toward the full autonomy expected to be put in place incoming months.?   There have been quite a few signing ceremonies in Israel in>recent weeks, mostly involving kings and presidents and primeBministers in grand surroundings using fountain pens to sign fancy>documents in leather binders.  On Tuesday in Ramallah, thingsAwere simpler.  In a room with peeling paint and decorations made>by children, officials used their own ball point pens to sign@plain-paper documents passed from hand to hand in white plastic	folders.<   At this simple ceremony at the local welfare office, and@another one in Bethlehem covering tourism, Israel continued the@process of handing over control of life in the West Bank to the@new Palestinian authority.  Israel gave up control of educationAin September, and is to do the same for health care and taxationby the end of the month.5   With anti-peace terrorism continuing, including aAbomb-throwing attack which slightly wounded two Israelis Tuesday>morning, the chief of Israel's administration in the occupied
territories,A   General Gadi Zohar, says there is a message in the continuing$implementation of the peace accord:>   "For these people who are in doubt, this means that we areBcontinuing and the Palestinians are continuing in the same way on?the road to peace.  And hopefully it will succeed in what they>are doing here and what they are going to do here and it willBgive the people the hope that down the road there are changes anda new way for everybody."@   General Zohar acknowledged that giving control of welfare toBthe Palestinian authority will not change the fact that many suchAservices are provided by the political wing of the radical groupAhamas.  But he warned that Israel is ready to move against HamasAif it uses its greater freedom to be involved in social servicesto launch terrorist attacks.A   The Palestinian deputy minister of welfare, Diab Ayoush, saidATuesday's ceremonies were important steps in the effort to buildPalestinian society.5   Ayoush said the Palestinians can handle their new1responsibilities, but need help to finance them:;   "We have our own power, I mean manpower, and we need inBaddition to that help and funds from the world who are interestedin the peace process."=   Ramallah is still under Israeli control, but Palestinians@raised their flag over the city's welfare office on Tuesday, as<the documents were signed inside.  Talks start next week on?details of the plan to grant the Palestinians full autonomy in;the West Bank, like they already have in Gaza and Jericho.   ---------------   ---------------?   SEPARATIST SAYS KASHMIR'S FUTURE WILL BE DECIDED BY THE GUN   DOUG BAKSHIAN
   ISLAMABAD@   A Kashmiri separatist leader says the future of Kashmir willAbe decided through the barrel of a gun and his movement has lostBconfidence in the United Nations. The leader is visiting Pakistan*to seek greater support for his struggle.9   Syed Salahuddin is the senior commander of the hizbul?Mujahedin fighters in Indian Kashmir.  He is visiting Pakistan%after crossing from the Indian side.@   Commander Salahuddin says his group has no confidence in the7credibility of the United Nations. He cited Bosnia and6Afghanistan as countries where the United Nations was
ineffective.A   Salahuddin also said the Kashmir issue has been neglected fora half-century::   "the two resolutions of '48 and '49 approved by United:Nations, signed by India and Pakistan are standing in theBSecurity Council agenda.W hat U.N. has done so far? We believe it<is the barrel of the gun that will decide the future of theKashmiri people."?   Commander Salahuddin says his group still wants the Kashmir7problem to be solved at the negotiating table, but his<organization has come to the conclusion that India does notBbelieve in democratic methods. He says there is no chance for any%political process in Indian Kashmir.A   Commander Salahuddin says one purpose of his visit is to tell>the Pakistan government it must offer concrete support to theAKashmiri cause, not just moral and diplomatic support. This is aAsensitive issue. Pakistan has long denied that it gives material5support to the militants fighting in Indian Kashmir.<   Commander Salahuddin says he is meeting with some peopleBinvolved in Pakistani politics, but he gave no names.  He says isAalso meeting with Kashmiri friends who fled from the Indian sideAin the past to update them on what is happening and involve themin the battle.B   The Hizbul Mujahedin is believed to be the largest armed groupBfighting in Indian Kashmir. Mr. Salahuddin says this is his first=visit to Islamabad in three years from the Indian-held side.?   India controls two-thirds of Kashmir and Pakistan the rest.?The nations have fought two wars over the territory. India has?cracked down sharply on a Kashmiri separatist movement and has?been condemned by international groups for severe human rightsviolations.   ---------------   ---------------!   MARIJUANA MEDICAL USE PROTEST   JIM STEVENSON   WASHINGTON>   Leaders of a movement to legalize the use of marijuana for<medical purposes in the United States have held a series ofBprotest rallies in more than 100 cities across the country.  TheyAare calling for an end to the persecution of those they say needthe drug to relieve suffering.A   More than two-hundred supporters for the medical legalizationBof marijuana gathered across from the White House Tuesday, waving.banners reading "stop arresting sick people."A   Several medical experts, including doctor Lester Grinspoon, a?professor at Harvard Medical School, told why they believe theillicit drug is beneficial:>   "Marijuana has been used, the documented use as a medicineAgoes back five-thousand years.  It is a remarkable medicine.  ItBis safe.  I mean, aspirin, you know, safe drug, five-hundred (to)>two-thousand people in this country alone lose their lives to9aspirin.  There has  never  been a documented death frommarijuana."@   Among the crowd, many who currently suffer from a variety ofBailments say they can only find relief by smoking marijuana.  One8man came draped in hundreds of empty drug containers toBillustrate the number of different prescriptions that have failed?to relieve his pains resulting from an internal head injury in:1985.  He says marijuana is the only drug that helps him.?   The national director of the organization for the reform ofBmarijuana laws, Richard Cowan, says President Clinton could allowBthe medical use of the drug simply by issuing an executive order:<   "I find overwhelming (political) support right, left and@center for medical access to marijuana.  This is not a partisanAissue.  This is not a left, right issue. This is a basically, if!you will, a humanitarian issue."A   Mr. Cowan hopes members of the newly Republican-held Congress>will agree to hold hearings on the issue next year.  He hopes@those hearings will either result in a presidential decision or?in the passage of new laws permitting the legal medical use of marijuana in the United States.   ---------------   ---------------A   REPORT SAYS FREE SPEECH IN MIAMI CUBAN COMMUNITY IS IN DANGER   JIM TEEPLE   WASHINGTON?   A U.S. human rights organization says a climate of fear and:intimidation is jeopardizing free speech in miami's Cubancommunity.<   The New York-based organization, Human Rights Watch, has;issued a report saying individuals and groups in Miami whoAadvocate a dialogue with Cuba have been subjected to harassment,=intimidation and violence by some members of the Cuban exilecommunity there.>   The report focuses on participants who traveled to Cuba in?April to take part in a conference on family reunification, as?well as more recent events.  Two years ago, human rights watch<documented acts of intimidation against Miami residents who=advocated normalizing relations with the Cuban government ofFidel Castro.?   Lee Tucker, the author of the report, says the intimidationrecently has grown worse:?   "There was the bombing in September of the replica magazine>offices.  Then just two weeks ago, the FBI arrested three men>outside a warehouse in miami.  The warehouse stored materials@waiting to be sent to Cuba as part of humanitarian assistance."B   Human Rights Watch says much of the intimidation appears to be9spontaneous and not organized.  For example, many of the?participants who traveled to Havana in April were subjected to;abusive phone calls and harassment upon their return.  TheAharassment was fanned by local radio talk shows after a local TV@station broadcast a videotape showing the participants toastingFidel Castro.<   However Tomas Regalado, the general news editor of south?Florida's largest Spanish-language radio station, radio Mambi,says the charges are false:A   "I say that they are lying.  I say that they are wrong. There<was  no  incident whatsoever with the participants who were@identified by the video shot by the Cuban TV, which in turn was=sold to the local PBS station.  So I think in this instance,BAmericas watch is wrong because radio did not play a role in thatBsituation.  It was TV, thanks to a video shot by the Cuban TV and sold to the local TV stations."B   The conference on family reunification, sponsored by the Cuban@government, was the first meeting of exiles and Cuban officialsAsince 1978.  The more than 200 exiles who attended represented a=broad cross-section of opinion on Cuba.  However, upon their:return to Miami they were met by an angry crowd, and were4escorted from the airport by police and FBI agents.?   Lee Tucker of human rights watch says while most victims ofBintimidation are satisfied with the response of local and federalAlaw enforcement officials, the response of elected officials hasbeen less than satisfactory:<   "There has been an extreme reluctance on the part of any?government official at any level, local, state or national, toBspeak out against the violence and intimidation.  In fact, to our=knowledge not a single government official has spoken out toBcondemn the death threats, or to condemn the pervasive atmosphere"preventing free speech in Miami."@   Human Rights Watch says while government officials and civic:leaders have not taken steps to correct this, it finds noBevidence of direct government involvement to suppress opinion and@free speech in Miami today.  However the organization also saysAonly a narrow range of free speech is acceptable on the issue of@Cuba, and that individuals who go beyond that put themselves indanger.   ---------------   ---------------.   UN EXTENDS MOZAMBIQUE PEACEKEEPING MISSION   ELAINE JOHANSON   UNITED NATIONS<   The United Nations Security Council Tuesday extended the>mandate of some six-thousand peacekeepers in Mozambique for a?final one-month period, after which a new government should beready to take over.7   The Security Council unanimously agreed to pull its?peacekeeping force out of Mozambique around December 15th.  By=that time, a new democratically elected government should beinstalled.>   The Security Council said it will endorse the results of aBthree-day election in October if the United Nations declares them?free and fair.  The head of the former rebel group Monday told=the U.N. he thinks there may have been irregularities in the@voting.  However, Renamo leader Afonso Dhlakama said he accepts;the outcome and is ready to cooperate with the government.@   Mozambican president Joachim Chissano and his Frelimo Party,?which has ruled Mozambique since independence from Portugal in<1975, are ahead in the vote count and widely expected to be5declared the winners after the final results are in.<   Renamo fought a 16-year war against the government until(agreeing to a peace settlement in 1992.   ---------------   ---------------"   NATO ASSEMBLY DEBATE EXPANSION
   DON HENRY   WASHINGTON;   Legislators from the 16 NATO countries and 14 associateAmembers are debating enlargement of the alliance at their annualBmeeting in Washington. A top U.S. delegate told a news conferenceBTuesday, NATO expansion will occur on the basis of each applicant#nation's individual circumstances.B   The major topic at this year's meeting of legislators from theAalliance is how and when to expand NATO to include former Sovietbloc countries.@   The alliance's president of the parliamentary assembly, Loic>Bouvard of France, told a news conference he expects Hungary,@Poland, the Czech Republic and Slovakia to become the next full<members, followed by Bulgaria, Romania and the three Baltic?States.  He did not forecast a timetable, but said NATO cannot?keep potential new members waiting forever.  He also cautioned=several times that Russia cannot be ignored in any expansionblueprint.>   Senator Howell Heflin, head of the U.S. Senate delegation,=agreed expansion will occur, but said each applicant must be@evaluated on progress it is making toward democratic stability:=   "I think that there's no question that the north atlantic=alliance will be extended and will take in other nations. It9probably will be done in segments. There will be certain=countries, I think, that will be admitted, and there will be@others in which it is felt that they need to make more progress@in democratic procedures and methods and in cooperative effortsbetween various nations."@   The U.S. delegation will present a resolution at the closing?debate Friday on the NATO enlargement process.  Senator Heflin>said the resolution would suggest timetables and elaborate onBsuch membership aspects as human rights policy, legal extraditiontreaties, and crime control.B   On another topic, alliance President Bouvard said the EuropeanBcountries are not happy with the U.S. decision to stop inspecting@ships for arms to Bosnia.  But he does not expect any long-termAharm to NATO to result from it, because he said the supremacy of6the transatlantic alliance takes precedence over suchdisagreements.   ---------------   ---------------,   PRAGUE GETS A NEW ENGLISH LANGUAGE DAILY   BARRY WOOD
   PRAGUE=   Prague is the first city in Eastern Europe to get its own"English-language daily newspaper.A   The Daily Standard arrived on Prague newstands to a generally?skeptical audience.  Local and foreign residents doubt whether>there is a Market for a daily English language newspaper in a>city in which there may be no more than 20,000 native English
speakers.B   The Bohemia Daily Standard is an eight page broadsheet.  It is:published by Erik Best, who for more than a year has been:publishing the successful English language compilation ofAtranslated business stories from the Czech press.  The collected;translations are sent each morning by facsimile to severalhundred subscribers.8   Mr. Best says he sees Prague as a potential hub of a@burgeoning European economy.  He says that since English is the;world's international language, his newspaper can prosper.7   But the business editor at another English languageBpublication, the weekly Prague post, Dean Calbraith, is among the
skeptics.<   Mr. Calbraith does not think the three-year-old and veryAsuccessful Prague Post will be adversely affected by the bohemiadaily standard:A   "I think for an eight page daily they are doing OK .  I think@that they've got a certain amount of wire copy. Fortunately, we?don't feel they are that much of a threat because they tend to8carry more international news than news about the CzechRepublic."=   In its pre-launch advertising campaign, the Bohemia DailyAStandard targeted the Prague Post, pointedly suggesting that the>new paper would not be staffed by adventurous young Americans fresh out of journalism school.>   The publisher of the Central European Business Weekly, Ian?Brodie, also is skeptical.  Mr. Brodie's paper is published in?Prague and distributed throughout Central Europe.  He says theABohemia Daily Standard people do not understand the difficulties@of distribution.  He predicts the new paper will last only fivemonths.@   There is another English language publication in Prague, theBweekly prognosis, which focuses on the arts.  That publication is9less successful than the Prague post and may be the most1vulnerable to the arrival of the daily standard.   ---------------   ---------------"   PRINCE ANDREW VISITS ARGENTINA   DAWN MAKINSON   BUENOS AIRES=   A visit to Argentina by Prince Andrew of Great Britain isAraising diplomatic hopes and bringing back not so fond memories.BAndrew, The Duke of York, was the only member of the royal family:of great Britain, to participate in the Faulkland Islands?Malvinas war between Britain and Argentina in 1982.  Now he is@the first of the royals to officially visit Argentina since thewar.<   Although the royal visit had the potential to antagonizeBpublic sentiment here, diplomats from both sides are calling it a=symbol of reconciliation.  Few Argentines have forgotten theBfailed invasion of the Faulkland/Malvinas islands in 1982, or the>humiliating defeat that quickly followed.  Argentina has longBclaimed the British controlled islands off their coast, but their?attempt to reclaim the territory ended in little more than twoAmonths, and caused the downfall of the then military government.A   Prince Andrew was the only member of the royal family to take>part in the war.  He was withdrawn from the battle for safetyAreasons.  Military leaders in Argentina responded by challengingAthe British to return the little prince as he was called, to the
battlefield.;   Among other things, the prince is scheduled to launch a>factory in Argentina for British/German car manufacturer LandBRover, and meet with business people.  That is certainly symbolic?of the times as far as trade goes between these two countries,-steadily increasing over the last few years.B   The royal visit comes on the heels of rumors that Argentina is;willing to put up one billion dollars for a buy out of the<citizens who live on the disputed Faulkland/Malvinas.  But,=foreign ministry sources here say the Faulkland Malvinas hasnothing to do with this visit.A   Argentina's Vice Chancellor, Fernando Petrella says hopes areBthe visit will not only help relations between the two countries,-but improve Argentina's international image:>   "In the sense that Argentina, it is a solid country, its aBcountry strongly committed to democracy, free Market economy, and@strategic relations with the west.  This is the message that weBwould like to be understood by the rest of the world, even by the?inhabitance of the Malvinas/Faulkland Islands which we respectvery much."8   The royal visit continues in Argentina until Friday.   ---------------   ---------------'   RABIN VISIT SITE OF BOMBING IN GAZA
   AL PESSIN
   JERUSALEM@   Israeli Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin has visited the site of?last Friday's suicide bombing in the Gaza Strip, and called on?the Palestinian authority there to do more to fight terrorism.@   Mr. Rabin visited the checkpoint where three Israeli reserve:officers were killed last Friday by a suicide bomber.  HeAacknowledged that such attacks are difficult to prevent.  But heBcalled on the Palestinian authority to make a more serious effort<to fight the radical groups that organize and pay for them.?   The authority has pledged to do so, and has arrested almost>200 alleged radicals since Friday's bombing.  In an interview>with the associated press on Tuesday, the Palestinian leader,9Yasser Arafat, said Israel is partly responsible for the@terrorism because it allowed the radical groups to grow when it(controlled Gaza in the 1970's and 80's.?   On Tuesday, Prime Minister Rabin also visited several otherBIsraeli army checkpoints in autonomous gaza, which protect Jewish7settlements in the strip.  He did not visit any of the@settlements, but he said they will remain in place as the peace?accord is implemented, in spite of the difficulty of defendingthem.@   Israel and the Palestinians are to discuss the future of thesettlements starting in 1996.   ---------------   ---------------   SOMALIA STALEMATE   ALEX BELIDA
   MOGADISHU>   There are fresh fears that factional fighting may erupt in@Somalia between rival militias, especially as U.N. peacekeeping>forces prepare to leave the country.  But some Somalis feel aBpolitical stalemate between the top leaders vying for power could?result in what they describe as a state of no war, no peace inthe immediate months ahead.B   The head of one of the few international relief agencies still?active in Mogadishu says his organization is preparing for the>worst while hoping for the best.  The worst is a new round of=factional fighting between the main rivals for power in this@battle-scarred city, general Mohamed Farah Aideed and Ali Madhi@Mohamed.  The best is a genuine peace agreement between the two@men and the formation of an interim government, Somalia's firstin more than three years.A   But a longtime resident of the Somali capital says that while@fighting is possible, a political settlement appears almost out=of the question.  He believes a more likely scenario for the@months ahead is that Mogadishu will remain in a state of no war<but no real peace either.  And he says that is a disturbing>prospect because, in his words, it means we're back to square9one, no better off than we were before the international;community intervened here militarily nearly two years ago.B   The U.N. peacekeeping force in Somalia, which now numbers some@15,000 soldiers, is preparing to pull out, their withdrawal the:result of the Security Council's disappointment about theBinability of Somali faction leaders to resolve their differences.>   Some U.N. and private relief organizations have urged U.N.<Secretary General Butros Butros Ghali to keep troops in the<country to secure key air and seaports after the March 31st8withdrawal deadline.  But diplomats say there is littlelikelihood that will happen.A   Somali sources say they fear that is almost certain to mean aArapid decline in humanitarian programs as worried relief workers?pull out.  They say it is also likely to mean that what little@international economic activity has sprung up over the past two=years will grind to a halt.  They say that in Mogadishu, forBexample, the withdrawal of U.N. forces means the seaport will  no=longer function.  General Aideed's forces are likely to take>control of the facility.  But businessmen say Mr. Ali Madhi's>loyalists, who control key access routes to the port, will beable to close it easily.B   In recent weeks, General Aideed's prospects for assuming powerBin Mogadishu and ultimately in Somalia appeared on the rise.  His@decision to defy the United Nations and his political rivals byBstaging a reconciliation conference to form a government gave him=what one Somali observer described as a sense of unstoppableAmomentum at a time when no one else was making any moves at all.A   This coincided with claims by some foreign diplomats that Mr.@Ali madhi was under mounting pressure to reach an accommodation=with General Aideed if he hoped to have any influence at all$after the departure of U.N. forces.?   But Somali sources say the image of confidence and strength;general Aideed projected was exaggerated and, perhaps more>importantly, offensive to many Somalis, including some of his>supporters.  It rekindled fears that an aideed-led government"would be a military dictatorship.?   Moreover, Mr. Ali Madhi's vow to form his own government ifBGeneral Aideed went ahead with his own plans, plus the opposition=of some other key Somali leaders to the general's ambitions,;undercut his credibility severely.  Somali sources say the6Aideed-organized reconciliation conference, after itsBhighly-publicized start at the beginning of this month, has begun@to fizzle out, raising fears in recent days that the continuing/political stalemate could prompt new fighting.B   No one can say for certain what will happen in the weeks ahead?or when U.N. peacekeeping units finally do withdraw early next>year.  Somali and foreign observers alike say one thing seemsAapparent, the prospects for a genuine reconciliation between theAcountry's faction leaders, especially general Aideed and Mr. Ali@Madhi, remain just as remote as ever, and that cannot bode wellfor the Somali people.   ---------------   ---------------)   SIGNS OF UPCOMING FIGHTING IN SOMALIA   ALEX BELIDA
   MOGADISHU=   With U.N. troops on their way out of Somalia and peaceful;reconciliation between rival factions still as distant and?seemingly unlikely prospects, some Somalis say they fear a new@round of bloody street fighting is about to erupt in Mogadishu.B   Knowledgeable Somalis on both sides of the infamous green lineBthat divides Mogadishu say they are now seeing what they consider@tell-tale signs of eminent warfare between militia loyal to the?two men vying for power in the capital and the nation. General,Mohamed Farah Aideed and Ali madhi Mohamed.A   Ironically, these signs include things that would normally be@viewed as symbols of calm, such as a recent exchange of letters@between general Aideed and Mr. Ali madhi in which they call one@another "my brother" and make appeals for reconciliation in theAinterest of the Somali people.  Such letters the sources charge,=are utter hypocrisy, especially when balanced against recent;evidence that forces loyal to both men are now rearming in	earnest.A   Other signs include cessation of harsh rhetoric on the rivals>radio, and what to these Somali sources is an equally ominous@halt to the sporadic violence that has racked Mogadishu off and=on in the recent weeks.  These sources say these are usuallyBindications of a tightening of discipline among the rank and fileof the militia.A   They also say many of General Aideed's forces and their heavyAweapons have apparently been withdrawn to positions south of the?capital, where it is feared they may be making final plans and;organizing themselves for a new assault on Mr. Ali mahdi's&strongholds in the north of the city.;   These sources call the situation profoundly depressing,Aespecially since they believe the international community, whichAintervened in Somalia two years ago and tried to promote genuineBreconciliation, is almost certain to turn its back on the countryAin the event of a new round of civil warfare.  U.N. peacekeepingBforces in Somalia, now numbering about 15-thousand, are beginning?to pull out and will all be gone by the end march.  These days=they do little more than protect themselves within their own
compound.=   The only hope these Somali sources see in the prospect of9renewed fighting is a perverse one:  that the wide-scaleAsuffering likely to ensue may be the only way to bring about theBkind of lasting political settlement that has eluded Somalia thusfar.A   In the meantime, though, they say those who can afford it are>again sending their families abroad and making plans to leave>themselves, recognizing that this time they may never return.   ---------------   ---------------%   TAIWAN SHELLING OF MAINLAND CHINA   KENDALL BUHL
   TAIPEIB   Taiwan's Defense Ministry has admitted its troops accidentally?shelled at the Chinese mainland. The government is offering to$compensate victims of the accident.<   Troops stationed on the island of Jinmen, off the Taiwan>coast, had selected a small island off the mainland coast forAtarget practice.  Instead, Beijing says a dozen shells landed in6a village on the outskirts of Shiamen in the southern'southeastern coastal province, Fujian.A   Four people were reported wounded in the barrage, two of them:seriously.  The incident has intensified an already-shaky(relationship between the two countries.:   The People's Republic of China has considered Taiwan a?renegade province since the nationalists fled to the island in?1949 after a long civil war with the communists.  And, BeijingAhas refused to rule out the possible use of force to reunify the@two China's. However, ties have improved slowly since political@tensions began easing in the late 1980's and there have been noAreports of exchanges of fire since the 1970's.  The last seriousBbombardments of China by Taiwan was during a cross-straits battle	in 1958.;   In recent years, nationalist troops have opened fire onAillegal immigrants from China trying to slip by garrisons on the=nationalist-held island as they tried to reach Taiwan aboard:fishing boats.  Some casualties have been caused in thoseincidents.?   A spokesman for Beijing's Taiwan Affairs Council calls this=latest bombardment a vicious incident that has sabotaged theBpeaceful atmosphere across the Taiwan strait.  Taipei calls it an>unfortunate accident for which it expresses grave concern and,says it is trying to rectify the situation.>   Taiwan's defense minister Sun Chen has told parliament the?central military command has been ordered to launch a detailed@investigation into the shelling.  He promises those found to be@at fault will be punished.  Compensation has also been promised=to those wounded in the incident, although the statement has,given no details on how much would be paid.   ---------------   ---------------!   "THE ARMS PRODUCTION DILEMMA"   MICHELE KELEMEN   WASHINGTONB   A new book by a multinational team of experts says that in the>mid 1990's, industrialized nations will produce more advancedBcombat aircraft for export than for their own use. The authors ofAthe book "The Arms Production Dilemma" are urging governments to=reverse what they claim are dangerous trends in planning forfuture security threats.@   The editor of the book, Randall Forsberg, calls on the major>weapons-producing countries to come up with what she believes?should be a more rational arms control policy in the post-cold	war era.B   Ms. Forsberg, who is director of the institute for defense and@disarmament studies, says the United States, Russia and severalAEuropean countries are focusing on short-term economic interests'and not on long-term security threats.4   Forsberg describes this a self-defeating policy:@   "You are using exports to maintain an industry whose purpose4is to fight in wars where those exports are going."A   The authors say the major arms-producing nations must come to=a decision: Should they should reduce their armed forces and=constrain the international arms trade?  Or should they keep<pushing arms exports , exports the authors say generate newBthreats and justify larger armed forces, more arms production andbigger arms industries?.>   Ms. Forsberg points out it took Iraq more than 10 years toBimport and develop the forces it used for the Gulf War.  She saysAthis lag time allowed countries, including Russia and the UnitedAStates to ignore what she calls the contradictions of their armssales policies.9   She and other experts who wrote the new study say the@international community should learn from the Gulf War and workAtogether to tighten export controls and further cut conventionalforces.=   Ms. Forsberg says the United States should also pay closeattention to Russia:A   "Russia, which has lost the great bulk of its export clients,Btoday has six potential clients of any size, five of them are theBvery same countries the united states points to as countries that9are sites of potential future major regional conflicts."A   Among Russia's potential clients are China, Iran, Iraq, Syriaand North Korea.8   Russian lawmaker and contributor to the book on arms@production, Alexei Arbatov, says military industries in Russia,>particularly the aircraft industry, still have a strong powerbase:>   "The (aircraft) industry, with the support of conservative@groups, is hoping that arms exports and arms sales will save it?from collapse and it will serve as a substitute for a sensibleprogram of conversion.">   Conservatives and nationalists in Russia argue that if the>country stops selling weapons, others exporters will take its@place in the Market.  Russia would then lose out on profits and<still face the same security threats.  Mr. Arbatov says theAinternational community can undermine this argument by promoting(better arms control policies worldwide.   ---------------   ---------------   JAPANESE TRADE SURPLUS DOWN   JERRY MCKINNEY	   TOKYO;   The Japanese government says the nation's overall trade6surplus fell last month for the third month in a row.?   A report issued by Japan's finance ministry put the October>trade surplus at nine billion, 280 million dollars. That is a0drop of more than 15 percent from last October.=   The decrease Marks the third month in a row Japan's tradesurplus has declined.:   A finance ministry official says the continued declineBindicates the nation's trade surplus has come to a turning point.BHe says the surplus is now headed down instead of up.  The change?is said to be mainly due to recent large increases in imports.?   Officials say the amount of Japanese made goods exported toBother nations rose nearly 10 and one-half percent in October.  At?the same time the value of goods imported into Japan was up 24	percent.B   The politically-sensitive trade surplus with the United States@also declined in October, down nearly seven percent from a year,ago.  It was the first drop since February.>   The trade surplus with the European Union was down for the>10th consecutive month, recording a decrease of a little more;than 20 percent from last October.  The surplus with Asian?nations was up for the fifth month in a row, rising four pointthree percent.@   The United States and Japan have been engaged in a series of@negotiations aimed at reducing the trade surplus.  On an annual>basis Japan's surplus with the United States is at 60 billion	dollars.A   A series of agreements aimed at opening some Japanese MarketsAmore to imported goods appears to have done little to reduce the	surplus.?   The two nations are working to re-open talks on automobiles?and automobile parts.  Those two categories make up by far the largest portion of the surplus.A   Bilateral talks are also taking place on efforts to find ways@Japan can reduce the number of government regulations that must>be met by imported goods.  Such regulations are often seen asbarriers to more open trade.   ---------------   ---------------,   FRENCH RELIEF AGENCY PULLS OUT OF RWANDA   DOUGLAS ROBERTS
   GENEVA@   U.N. officials say the decision by a French relief agency to?pull its personnel out of some of the Rwandan refugee camps inAZaire underscores the need for action to deal with deteriorating<security conditions in the camps. Many other private relief>agencies have warned they, too, may have to withdraw from thecamps.>   The French charity, Doctors Without Borders (Medicins Sans@Frontieres), began withdrawing its personnel from refugee camps?in the Bukavu region of Zaire on Tuesday.  It said it could no?longer deal with the security threat posed by the thousands ofAarmed supporters of the former Rwandan government who are livingamong the refugees.@   U.N. officials say they will be able to fill the gap left by?the departing French doctors and nurses.  And they say they do?not believe this Marks the start of a full-scale withdrawal byprivate  relief agencies.:   But the spokeswoman, of the U.N. high commissioner for=refugees, Sylvana Foa, said the move underscores the concern>about the deteriorating security conditions inside the camps:A   "This would be a very very clear message to the international:community that we would like to see some very, very quick	action."A   Secretary General Boutros Boutros-Ghali has drawn up a series>of options for military action to restore order in the camps.AThe proposals range from the dispatch of a small police force toBthe deployment of a new peacekeeping unit of almost five-thousandtroops.=   U.N. officials say the secretary general will present the:options to the Security Council within the next few days.   ---------------   ---------------/   KYRGYZSTAN TO PRIVATIZE AGRICULTURAL SECTOR   DOUGLAS ROBERTS
   GENEVAA   Kyrgyzstan's president Askar Akayev has pledged to complete aBprogram to privatize the agricultural sector in the former Soviet<Republic before the end of next year.  At a news conferenceBfollowing talks with U.N. officials in Geneva Tuesday, Mr. AkayevAreaffirmed his commitment to wide-ranging economic and political@reform.  But he said his top priority is to ensure inter-ethnicharmony in the country.=   More than 20 percent of Kyrgyzstan's four million 700,000@people are ethnic Russians.  In many parts of the former SovietAempire, the Russian minority has faced persecution and violence,=prompting large numbers to leave.  But President Akayev says(Kyrgyzstan wants to reverse that trend.>   The president helped organize a conference of Kyrgyzstan'sAethnic Russians earlier this year in a bid to dissuade them from>migrating.  The main result was a decision to make Russian anBofficial language of the republic, a move the president now wants)enshrined in a constitutional amendment.B   Mr. Akayev also voiced support for the other ethnic minorities?in Kyrgyzstan, including Uzbeks and some 60,000 ethnic GermansBwho have been granted special privileges, in a bid to entice themto stay in the country.?   Kyrgyzstan's government has been given generally high Marks9for its commitment to democracy and free Market reforms.B   President Akayev said 46 percent of all state enterprises have@now been privatized, a significant jump over last year.  And he=said the entire agricultural sector will be in private handsbefore the end of 1995.>   Mr. Akayev said the agrarian reforms have already produced4results, asserting that Kyrgyzstan is now virtuallyAself-sufficient in food production.  He refuted suggestions that>the country could face a humanitarian crisis during the harsh;central Asian winter, although he acknowledged that energy+supplies in the republic remain a problem.>   On foreign policy issues, the Kyrgyz leader voiced concern@over the continued lack of stability in neighboring Tajikistan.?He said this month's Tajik presidential election has given theBcountry a legitimate authority.  But he said he is not optimistic>it will lead to an early peace agreement between the DushanbeAgovernment and the radical Muslim opposition, which is backed by!extremist groups in Afghanistan.?   Mr. Akayev said he believes the Tajik conflict will only be>resolved in the context of a broader settlement that ends theturmoil in Afghanistan.=   The president said Islamic fundamentalism does not pose a@threat in Kyrgyzstan.  He said there is no conflict between the?country's Muslims and other religious groups.  But he said his?government is actively promoting the resurgence of religion inAorder to fill what he called the vaccuum left by the collapse ofcommunist ideology.   ---------------   ---------------   U.S. PRESIDENTIAL RACE   JIM MALONE
   SENATE?   Republicans in the U.S. Congress are already savoring theirArole as the majority political party beginning in January, while>Democrats are trying to adjust to being the minority party inBCongress for the first time in 40 years. But just as one election/campaigns ends, another one is about to start.>   Believe it or not,  the 1996 presidential race is about to@begin. President Clinton is still a solid bet for re-nomination>by the Democrats despite some speculation of a challenge fromBwithin his own party. But the real race will be on the RepublicanBside, where a small army of potential candidates is lining up forthe 1996 campaign.;   At the head of the list is the incoming senate majority;leader, Bob Dole,  who has run for president twice before.ASenator Dole is seen by some as the early frontrunner because of=his name recognition and because he was the chief opposition@spokesman during the first two years of the Clinton presidency.?   Senator Dole says he will decide whether or not to seek the=presidency early next year and will emphasize his leadershipabilities if he does run::   "I think that is one reason you might want to run (forBpresident), to  see if you can not solve some of the problems andBprovide the  leadership and be able to negotiate and persuade andAcajole people to come in a direction you want to take America. I,think that is what it is really all about."A   Senator Dole's chief rival at the moment appears to be fellow<Republican Senator Phil Gramm, who initially was elected toACongress as a Democrat.  He swtiched parties in the early 1980's:and is now regarded as perhaps the Republican's strongestspokesman on economic matters.B   Gramm favors big tax cuts and reducing the size of government:<   "I really do believe the government is too powerful, tooAexpensive,  too impersonal, too hostile. And I think people want#less government and more freedom."A   Senator Gramm may be free to campaign more for president than@Senator Dole since Senator Dole's duties as majority leader may)keep him in Washington much of the time.?   Another expected candidate is Jack Kemp, the former Housing9and Urban Development Secretary under President Bush. He>advocates tax cuts and economic reform, but is one of the few6Republicans who places an emphasis on reaching out to-African-Americans and other minority voters.@   Mr. Kemp says last week's Republican victory in the mid-term=elections was a triumph for lower taxes and less government:?   "That is what we are all about. We have won. Now we have to>consolidate victory, and clearly it means to reach out to allAsegments of our population and provide answers that will includeeverybody."?   Others who may enter the race include former Vice President>Dan Qualye, former Secretary of State James Baker, and former@Defense Secretary Dick Cheney. California governor Pete Wilson,<who won re-election last week, is also a possibility, as is+former Tennessee Governor Lamar Alexander.=   Alexander wants to de-centralize government and political4power in Washington and give it back to the people:?   "They (voters) do not want a Republican fix from WashingtonAany more than they wanted a democratic fix from Washington. They>want it (the solution) sent home. They want Washington out of?their schools, out of their welfare, out of their crime bills,out of their businesses."A   Yet another possibility is former general and Joint Chiefs of@Staff Chairman Colin Powell, who at the moment enjoys very highAapproval ratings in public opinion polls. But General Powell hasAsaid little about his political convictions and some people haveAsuggested he run on a moderate platform as an independent, thirdparty candidate.@   Republican Senator Arlen Specter has already announced he is@exploring a possible bid for president in two years and says he@will base his campaign on opposing the conservative wing of the:Republican Party, or what he called the far-right fringe.9   The official presidential campaign announcements from<Republican contenders are expected to come fast and furiousbeginning early next year.   ---------------   ---------------4   CHINA AND U.S. FAIL TO RESOLVE TRADE DIFFERENCES   DAN ROBINSON   JAKARTAA   U.S. and Chinese officials have failed to resolve differencesBabout trade.  U.S. Trade Representative Mickey Kantor and China'sBtrade minister Wu Yi met in Jakarta where leaders of Asia-Pacific(nations will hold their summit Tuesday.;   The two officials met for more than two hours Sunday on@Beijing's demand to join GATT (General Agreement on Tariffs and;Trade) and become a founding member of the new World TradeOrganization (WTO).<   The United States is pressing Beijing for greater Market@access and other reforms in areas such as intellectual property@rights. Beijing says it has already done enough to warrant GATTmembership.?   After Sunday's talks, Mr. Kantor said he is not sure a dealAcan be reached before the January first deadline, adding Beijingneeds to do more:B   "It is a matter of making progress, a matter of making sure weBbreak down barriers, and make the rules fair, and China begins to@adhere to the regimes that all the trading nations in the world&have agreed to in the Uruguay Round."<   The Chinese trade official said Beijing has had what she@called a firm attitude toward GATT re-accession, has taken veryAflexible measures to achieve it, and believes China's membershipwould benefit all.A   President Clinton and Chinese President Jiang Zemin will hold>bi-lateral talks during the summit of Asia-Pacific leaders inJakarta this week.   ---------------   ---------------0   CLINTON VISIT AMERICAN/FILIPINO WAR MEMORIAL   DEBORAH TATE
   MANILA@   President Clinton has honored U.S. and Filipino soldiers whoAfought in world war two.  During a visit to an American cemetery<in Manila, Mr. Clinton also pledged the United States would1continue to be engaged in the region's security.?   President Clinton solemnly walked passed some of the 17,000Awhite grave Markers at the Manila American cemetery, the largestAmilitary cemetery outside the United States.  He stopped to viewBa limestone memorial with the names of 37,000 U.S. troops missingin action in the Pacific.<   The president toured Corregidor, the small island at theAentrance to Manila bay that came under repeated assault from theJapanese during World War II.?   Mr. Clinton paid tribute to the bravery of the American and>Filipino soldiers who fought side by side there, and recalledtheir common experience::   "I saw on corregidor, the remains of many evidences ofAAmericans and filipinos sharing the familiar diversions of every@day life: The fields where games were played, remnants of three?movie theaters.  But, the most important thing they shared was the ferocious love of freedom."?   Thousands of American and Filipino soldiers died during the?Japanese attacks at Corregidor.  General Douglas MacArthur was>forced to flee the island in 1942.  But it was re-captured byAallied forces three years later, followed by General MacArthur'semotional return.:   The president said the spirit of the allied success atCorregidor never died::   "The defense of democracy, the determination to spread@freedom, the refusal to bow before aggression are principles atBthe core of our identities as nations today.  Those who were once@our foes, Japan, Germany and Italy, are now our friends because@they too, now, embrace these ideals.  These same principles sawBus through the long ordeal of the cold war.  And today they uniteAus with our allies, including our friends in the Philippines who?stand with us in the constant march of freedom and democracy."@   Mr. Clinton called the Philippines the oldest U.S. friend inAsia.?   Recalling the popular movement that swept Corazon Aquino to@the presidency of the Philippines in 1986, Clinton credited theBPhilippines for help in sparking the wave of democracy that swept-Eastern Europe and other parts of the world:?   "What you did here encouraged the spirit of freedom for the?world, just as surely as your defiant courage in world war twoBbuoyed the forces of freedom then.  We thanked you then, we thank
you now.">   Just two-years after the United States closed its military<base at Subic Bay in the Philippines, Mr. Clinton vowed theAUnited States remained committed to security in the region.  The?president noted the U.S. agreement with North Korea last monthAaimed at freezing and dismantling Pyongyang's nuclear program as0part of the effort to further security in Asia.<   Philippine President Fidel Ramos said 50-years after theBliberation of the Philippines, his country is determined to win a7new war, a battle against poverty, injustice and human
deprivation.   ---------------   ---------------D   CLINTON SAYS FOREIGN POLICY WILL NOT BE CHANGED BY NEXT CONGRESS   DAVID BORGIDA
   MANILAA   President Clinton says his administration's foreign policy is@not going to be weakened by Republican control of the next U.S.>congress.  U.S. officials traveling with the president on his=Asia trip are reassuring regional officials there will be no!abrupt changes in U.S. policies.A   At a news conference winding up his visit to the Philippines,APresident Clinton assured regional leaders there is no reason toAbelieve his policies will be reversed or changed dramatically by)Republican control of the next congress:A   "I do not expect it to have any impact on our foreign policy.BThe Republican house and senate leaders and I spoke, as you know,Abefore I came , they expressed support for this trip and for our=policy generally.  But the foreign policies I have pursued ,?particularly the mission I am on now with regard to APEC, have$enjoyed broad bi-partisan support."=   Earlier, an administration spokesman said there is strong@interest by Asian leaders on the impact of last week's mid-termelections.A   President Clinton said he is going to Indonesia to attend the;Asian-Pacific economic cooperation meeting in an effort to9continue to break down barriers to trade and investment.   ---------------   ---------------   CORREGIDOR: THE OLD AND NEW   DAVID BORGIDA
   MANILA@   During his first stop in Asia, President Clinton visited the@Philippines for talks with President Fidel Ramos.  But, he also>visited nearby Corregidor Island to pay tribute Sunday to theAthousands of Americans and Filipinos who died there during World@War II. There is a fascinating irony to be found amid the World1War II relics and new development on the island.?   Corregidor, in Spanish it is a rather benign word, it means<"magistrate".  But to military historians, there is nothing.benign about what went on there 50-years ago.>   Because of its strategic location guarding the entrance of8Manila Bay, Corregidor was valued military real estate.>   In the first five-months of world war two, Japanese troopsBlaunched a full-scale assault against allied troops massed on the;tiny island.  They were dug into a mountain in the MalintaATunnel, a concrete arsenal which also contained a hospital.  But=despite such fortifications, and heavy weapons placed at the?island's highest points, the allied troops could not match theJapanese force.9   In May, 1942, 12,000 allied troops surrendered to the;Japanese.  But, U.S. general Douglas MacArthur returned to'recapture the island in February 1945.9   Fifty-years later, a cruise line called "Sun Cruises"=advertises what it calls "The Corregidor Experience", at the(place men once fought in deadly combat.=   Corregidor, has gone from a valued piece of military real0estate to a commercial real estate opportunity.B   Ramon Alonso was a six-year-old boy 50-years ago.  Now he is a$tourist guide. According to Alonso:A   "We allow the tourists to pick them up, and take them home asa paperweight."@   What Ramon Alonso is talking about are, what he describes as@blood-stained rocks, a featured tourist item at the Pacific War
Memorial.;   There are high hopes for Corregidor.  A glossy brochure;advertises fishing trips, hiking, swimming on the beaches.>   There is a small hotel, the Corregidor Inn.  Another guideAsays it is not like the expensive hotels in Manila.  He says the@waitresses are young, and sometimes have to be reminded what todo.?   Soon, there may be a retirement community and golf courses.@But the relics of Corregidor remain, bombed out barracks, steel@gun emplacements, and of course, that haunting reminder of what+happened 50-years ago, bloodstained rocks.   ---------------   ---------------5   DISPUTE BETWEEN GREECE AND TURKEY OVER AEGEAN SEA   ANTHEE CARASSAVAS
   ATHENS?   Greece has denied Turkish reports it provided assurances to@the United States that it will not extend its boundaries in the?Aegean sea.  A war of words has escalated with Turkey over theissue.?   Greek Defense Minister Gerasimos Arsenis denied the reports>before leaving for the Netherlands to attend a meeting of theWestern European Union.?   The reports said President Clinton had sent a letter to the?Turkish government expressing confidence that Greece would not?extend its boundaries in the island-dotted Aegean Sea.  Greece:and Turkey, both NATO members, have argued for years over0boundaries and rights of passage in the Aegean.B   In recent months, however, the dispute has escalated with both@states indulging in a war of words in light of an international@sea convention allowing Greece to extend its territorial watersfrom six to 12 nautical miles.@   Turkey is not a signatory of the convention, which goes into>effect Thursday.  It has warned that any attempt by Greece to+change the borders would be cause for war.B   The United States has sent a war ship to the Aegean to monitorthe situation.   ---------------   ---------------&   RUSSIA DENIES ARMING BOSNIAN SERBS   ELIZABETH ARROTT
   MOSCOW?   Russia has vehemently denied a report it armed Bosnian Serb?forces, contravening a United Nations embargo. The accusation,Bpublished in a German magazine, comes amid growing fury about who(is arming whom in the Bosnian conflict.@   The defense ministry here in Moscow was quick to condemn the@charges, saying Russia has not given a single tank, missile, or*other unit of armaments to Bosnian Serbs.B   In a statement carried by the Itar-Tass news agency, a defenseBspokesman said Russia has strictly kept to the embargo on arms to!forces in the former Yugoslavia.?   The spokesman added this is not the first of what he called>unfounded accusations about Russia's arming of the serbs.  He>also noted the source of the alleged transfer, former Russian?bases in Germany, is now under German control.  The report was,carried in the German magazine Der Speigel.?   The denial follows by one day Moscow's expression of regret=and concern over a United States decision on arms to Bosnia.BWashington has decided not to enforce the arms embargo, in effect>paving the way for weapons supplies to the Muslim-led Bosniangovernment.@   The Russian foreign ministry, in a statement also carried byBItar-Tass, said it was less concerned about the immediate effects@of the U.S. decision.  Rather, it said, it was unhappy with its;implication, that the United States, for reasons including@domestic politics, has bypassed international agreements and is'moving unilaterally in global affairs.A   Deputies in the Russian lower house of parliament took a more>forceful line, condemning the U.S. move in a resolution.  The@duma voted overwhelmingly to reproach the United States, saying?its actions will make the Balkan crisis worse and lead, in its@words, to chaos and high-handedness in international relations.<   Moscow has given more support to the Serbian side in the7conflict than other international mediators.  Hardline>politicians here stress traditional ethnic and religious ties@between Russians and the serbs.  However, in the past year, theAKremlin has been repeatedly embarrassed by broken Serb promises,Bdespite claims to a special relationship.  The Russian government=has recently backed away from its earlier strong commitment.   ---------------   ---------------%   SWEDISH EU ELECTION NIGHT RESULTS   KRIS BILLINGHURST
   STOCKHOLM<   Swedish voters Sunday narrowly approved the government's?application to join the European Union.  By a 52 to 47 percent?margin, Sweden the second of three nordic countries in line toBjoin European economic and political cooperation have now clearedall the hurdles.@   The far-reaching importance of this referendum was reflected<in the high participation rate:  82 percent of all eligible<voters went to the polls Sunday.  Sweden will now begin theAprocess of adapting its trading practices, agricultural policies-and tax structures to rules set in Brussels.B   Perhaps the biggest winner is social democratic Prime Minister<Ingvar Carlsson, who has campaigned relentlessly across theAcountry for a yes vote since parliamentary elections brought his=party back to power two months ago.  Exit polls indicate the=outcome of the election may have been determined when  large?numbers of social democratic voters, who were undecided to the>very end, finally joined ranks with their prime minister. Mr.ACarlsson's political standing, and perhaps even the stability of9his new government, would have been gravely injured by arejection.>   Surveys have found opposition to membership heaviest among<women, workers and farmers in the north of the country. The<question of membership has split unions, political parties,friends and families.B   Sweden will now join the European Union along with Austria andBFinland on January 1, 1995.  Norway will vote later this month in>a similar referendum, and opinion polls there indicate strong?opposition to joining the union.  However, the polls also show?that norwegians may find it hard to resist joining following ayes vote in Sweden.?   If all four nations join, the European Union will grow nextAyear to 16 members, encompassing about 375 million people and an)economy worth 7-trillion dollars a year.   ---------------   ---------------#   PRISONER EXCHANGE IN TAJIKISTAN   ELIZABETH ARROTT
   MOSCOW@   The government of Tajikistan and its Islamic opposition have@reportedly concluded an exchange of prisoners. The swap is part7of a cease-fire agreement between the warring parties.A   The international red cross announced the exchange took placeBin eastern Tajikistan, with 23 opposition prisoners being swappedfor 27 government soldiers.@   The exchange was part of a United Nations-mediated agreement?reached two weeks ago in Pakistan, and took one week longer to>conclude than originally anticipated.  Both sides accused theother of causing the delay.@   The Moscow-backed government in Dushanbe is fighting a rebel?insurgency along its border with Afghanistan.  The rebels, the=losers of a brutal 1992 civil war, have launched a guerrilla9campaign from the Afghan side of the border with IslamicAfundamentalist support.  Twenty-five thousand Russian troops are6in Tajikistan to help fend off the attacks and act as%peacekeepers throughout the country.B   The head of the United Nations mission in the Tajik capital isAquoted as saying both the government and the rebels demonstrated.wisdom in carrying out the prisoner exchange.   ---------------   ---------------'   U.S./PHILIPPINES EXTRADITION TREATY   RON PEMSTEIN
   MANILA@   During President Clinton's 20-hour visit to the Philippines,9the two countries signed legal treaties, and witnessed acommercial agreement.>   When Philippine President Fidel Ramos visited Washington aAyear ago, he asked President Clinton to approve negotiations for>a bilateral extradition treaty.  In return, President Clinton@asked for a commitment for a legal-assistance treaty desired by$American law enforcement officials.B   Near the end of President Clinton's visit to Manila, Secretary=of State Warren Christopher and Philippine Foreign Secretary?Roberto Romulo signed both treaties.  Mr. Christopher says all;that remains is the treaties' approval by their respectivelegislatures.9   The Secretary of State says the United States and the9Philippines are pledging solidarity in the fight against4international drug trafficking and organized crime.:   The two ministers then witnessed a ceremony giving the@privately-owned U.S. based company, Federal Express, a regionalAhub at the former American Naval Base at Subic Bay.  U.S. troops9left Subic Bay Naval Base in November, 1992, but the new8agreement helps the area achieve its goal of becoming acommercial center.   ---------------   ---------------%   FIRST STAGE U.S. PULLOUT OF HAITI   VICTOR BEATTIE   WASHINGTON?   More than 300 U.S. troops have left Haiti for their base at@Fort Drum, New York, part of a major pullout of American forces?sent to  Haiti to act as peacekeepers during the transition to<democracy. President Clinton has promised about half of the=troops still in Haiti should be back home by the end of thismonth.@   The more than 300 troops are members of the Third Battalion,@14th Infantry of the 10th Mountain Division.  They were ordered<to  Haiti in September in advance of the return to power of)exiled President Jean-Bertrand Aristide.B   U.S. military spokesman Lt. Jeff Gordon says the troops wasted#no time in leaving Port-au-Prince:A   "The soldiers were pretty happy to get back to New York. They0left one hour early (than scheduled) actually."B   Lt. Gordon says their redeployment is significant because they?represent the first light infantry unit to be sent back to the8United States since the U.S. intervention in September.A   Private First Class Greg Baker is among those returned to new8york Saturday saying his unit left Haiti in good shape:<   "When we left everything was going all right.  It really@wasn't too bad when we first got there but when we got ready to&leave everything was going smoothly."@   There are still more than 12,000 American soldiers in  Haiti3down from a peak of more than 20,000 in September.   ---------------   ---------------8   U.S. SIGNS DEFENSE COOPERATION ACCORD WITH MACEDONIA   VICTOR BEATTIE   WASHINGTON?   As the Yugoslav conflict in Bosnia-Herzegovina intensifies,>Macedonia and the United States have moved closer together by@signing a defense cooperation accord. The United States, moving?to increase its influence in the area, signed a similar accordlast week with Croatia.;   Assistant U.S. Defense Secretary Joseph Kruzel says the;agreement allows Macedonian officers to be trained at U.S.<military academies.   Macedonia is the only former Yugoslav;Republic where U.S. troops are stationed as part of a U.N.?peacekeeping mission aimed at guarding against a spread of theBalkan conflict.?   Mr. Kruzel's two days of meetings in Skopje dealt primarily@with Macedonia's security along its border with Yugoslavia.  He@emphasizes there is no immediate threat to border security evenBthough Yugoslavia does not recognize Macedonia which declared itsindependence three years ago.@   Mr. Kruzel says a long-term solution to border tensions must=include Belgrade's recognition of Macedonian sovereignty and>declare it has no territorial ambitions against Macdonia.  He=says sanctions should not be lifted on Serbia and Montenegrountil they meet such a demand.A   Landlocked Macedonia is being hurt by international sanctionsAon Serbia,  which has been a key trading partner, and by Greece.BAthens also does not recognize Macedonian sovereignty complaining@the state's name implies a claim on the northern Greek provinceof the same name.   ---------------   ---------------8   U.S. SUNDAY MORNING POLITICS AFTER MID-TERM ELECTION   JANE BERGER   WASHINGTONA   Republican Senate Leader Bob Dole says the Senate will likelyBconduct a thorough review of U.S. foreign policy when RepublicansAtake control of Congress in January. Politicians from both major@political parties appeared in a series of television interviewsASunday to assess the Republican sweep of both the senate and the6House of Representatives in U.S. elections last week.B   Senator Bob Dole of Kansas says the Senate intends to review a>number of U.S. foreign policy initiatives when the RepublicanAParty takes control of the Senate early next year. For the firstAtime in eight years,  Republican Senators will set the agenda on?issues that senate committees will explore in public hearings.B   Mr. Dole said the review includes the timetable for a complete@withdrawal of U.S. troops from  Haiti and the U.N. arms embargoagainst Bosnia:=   "We ought to get the troops out of Haiti by thanksgiving.:(Next week).  We don't have to sit around while they (the?Haitians) postpone their elections.  We ought to lift the armsBembargo in Bosnia.  We ought to investigate whether or not we gota good deal in North Korea."9   Senator Dole declined specific comment on a number of>controversial proposals by Senator Jesse Helms, who will takeAcontrol next year of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. But9Mr. Dole said many of Mr. Helms' ideas are popular amongARepublicans.  Senator Helms has advocated deeps cuts in the U.S.Aforeign aid budget, a reassessment of the mideast peace process,>and a review of U.S. contributions to the United Nations, the2World Bank, and other multilateral organizations.A   On domestic issues, Mr. Dole said future Republican dominanceAin Congress will depend on the party's ability to deliver on the?promises it made during the recent election campaign.  Senator=Dole said he himself may run for president in 1996, and willdecide by February 15th.=   In a separate interview, Republican Senator Phil Gramm of>Texas said he plans to file legal papers this week to mount a?1996 presidential election campaign, becoming the first formalRepublican candidate.B   The future Republican congressional agenda was addressed again@by congressman Newt Gingrich, who is expected to be elected thenext leader in the House.<   Mr. Gingrich said he believes he can work with President:Clinton to enact at least some new legislative proposals:A   "He (President Clinton) has talked about a number of changes.AHe's talked about reinventing government.  And we have to figure@out, is there a way we can work together on the things we agreeAon, while vigorously disagreeing on other things.  I don't think%it can be all one way or the other."A   President Clinton, like the Republicans, favors reform in theAwelfare system and a reduction in some government programs.  But:Democrats in general have long been opposed to many other?Republican proposals, such as prayer in the public schools and=limits on the number of years that U.S. lawmakers can serve.=   Democratic Congressman Richard Gephardt said although hisBparty suffered a huge defeat at the polls, the American people do<not want to eliminate all federal programs, but to make the-government work better and more efficiently.   ---------------   ----------------.   ADVANCED RADAR HELPING TO SAVE RAIN FOREST   SAM IKER   WASHINGTON:   Radar images from a recent flight of the space shuttle@endeavor are aiding conservationists in saving the biologically4rich but endangered coastal rain forests of Brazil.@   Brazil's coastal rain forests have long been known as one ofAthe earth's greatest concentrations of bio-diversity.  But theseBbiologically rich ecosystems are rapidly disappearing--giving way?to agriculture, logging and settlement.  Now, conservationists<have a new scientific tool to help them save what's left of>Brazil's coastal rain forests.  It's an advanced radar systemAcalled "synthetic aperture radar" which was employed on a recent@mission of the space shuttle endeavor.  The system was designedAto help scientists distinguish between man-induced environmental%changes and natural forms of change.A   Richard Rice, of the organization Conservation International,Asays this advanced technology overcomes the limitations of spaceAimagery, which can be obstructed by weather conditions or forestcover:<   "It"s very difficult to distinguish,  using conventionalBsatellite imagery,  the difference between undisturbed forest andAthe cacao plantations which in that area are planted beneath the>native forest canopy.  The radar gives us an enormous edge inAthis regard because not only can it see through the canopy,  butAit can do it in virtually any weather conditions.  It sees rightthrough clouds, day or night."<   Mr. Rice says this capability will give conservationistsBinvaluable information to assist them in developing strategies to2preserve surviving areas of Brazil's coastal rain?forests--strategies which give local people incentives to keepthe rain forest intact.   ---------------   ---------------B   CHINESE GOVERNMENT ISSUE WARNING OVER NEPOTISM AMONG OFFICIALS   DAVID DYAR   BEIJING;   The Chinese government has issued a new set of warnings7against nepotism among party and government officials.;   The warning issued Thursday brought out into the open aBsituation which has caused many Chinese to lose confidence in theAgovernment.  That is the practice of many officials of promoting*their relatives to influential positions.A   China's cabinet published a six-point notice Thursday warningagainst the practice.B   The order requires all government departments to review recentApersonnel changes to determine whether officials' relatives have#been given preferential treatment.B   The notice uses the words "quite striking" to describe some ofBthe recent cases of nepotism officials have uncovered.  It warns,?if the practice continues, the party and government leadershipcould be damaged.A   The notice also reveals several other actions which officialsAuse to build up power bases.  These include the practice of some;party officials to promote colleagues just before they are;transferred and to bring along colleagues from former workplaces, when they change jobs.@   According to the circular, Chinese officials should not makeBmajor decisions without consultations and agreement by a majorityof department heads.A   Several years ago, Chinese scholars noted the children of top<Chinese officials had begun to form their own power base byAtaking advantage of their parents' high positions.  The scholars<noted these officials were commonly referred to by ordinaryChinese as "princelings."A   Some scholars say the current mid-level positions of this newAgeneration of leaders give these men and women a unique platform7to reach the top positions in government and business.<   The scholars say these younger family members of the topAofficials see it as their right take over positions of power and6will put up stiff resistance, if they are challenged.   ---------------   ---------------#   DIVISIONS IN THE EUROPEAN UNION
   ED WARNER   WASHINGTONA   The European Union is beset with problems; national pride and=rivalry, arguments over pace, procedure and the admission of@other states to the east and south.  Yet integration continues,Bslowly but surely, says a leading scholar of Europe in the UnitedStates.9   "Contradictions are beginning to emerge," said French=President Francois Mitterand, "and we must prevent them fromAbecoming lethal," he referred to the growing disputes within the;European community, especially between France and Germany.B   Germany aroused controversy and some fear by advocating that a6"hard core" of five nations take the lead in European
integration.A   Simon Serfaty, director of European studies at the center for?strategic and international studies in Washington, says France;and other E.U. Members worry about going too far too fast:@   "The Germans then went on and defined an agenda for the next@two years which the French generally find too ambitious and tooBswift.  They do not want, for example, to reform the institutions9of the European Union in a manner that would devalue theBsovereignty of the nation state further.  And they do not want to?widen the European Union toward Central Europe before some new?activities have been devised for the union in the direction of=deepening it with regard to economic and monetary union, for
example."B   Mr. Serfaty says it's easier for the Germans to make ambitiousBproposals because they have just had an election.  But the French@government faces the voters next spring, and the European Unionis likely to be a major issue.A   France and Germany are agreed on the need to bring the former4communist nations of Central Europe into the union.@   Mr. Serfaty expects this to happen over the next five years:@   "It is really a matter for them to gain political legitimacyAand therefore stability, escaping the shadow of belonging to the=eastern part of the continent under some control still beingAexerted out of Russia. Economically, they cannot achieve degreesAof affluence, which they need politically, without some intimate@relationship with the union because so long as they do not have?access to the single market of the European union, investments;will be reluctant to come in and thus the launching of the&economies will not be truly started."<   But France and Germany are at odds over countries to the7south. France, along with Italy and Spain, want closer@association with North African nations, imperilled, as they seeAit, by rising Islamic fundamentalism.  Germany fears involvement@in nations with such different economies and political systems.?   Mr. Serfaty insists the disagreements should not overshadow+the accomplishments of the European Union:=   "The most compelling, the most enduring, perhaps the mostBhistoric legacy of the cold war has been precisely the ability to@develop in western Europe a common economic and political space>called the European Union in the midst of which historic wars@have been once and for all abolished.  This is an extraordinaryBdevelopment in terms of the multi-century history of the European<continent.  Now that task has not been completed yet, and I:expect over the next two or three years it will move on."A   Mr. Serfaty says that slow and tedious as integration may be,0there's no going back to unbridled nationalism:A   "The backlash lacks an alternative. There is  no alternative.>The European states are too small to live by themselves.  The@lesson of the past 40 years it is no longer enough to be French@or British or Italian or even German.  You need to be somethingBmore,  not something else - something more.  It is that something,more which fosters the European dimension."A   Simon Serfaty says integration has another benefit.  Economic=discipline imposed by Brussels makes it harder for extremistAparties to flourish.  Governments are pushed in the direction of*moderation and healthy centrist policies.   ---------------   ---------------A   A NON-GOVERNMENTAL ORGANIZATION'S REPORT ON DRUGS ENFORCEMENT   JOHN FRASER   BRUSSELS?   A new report by a private international group says the only@people who have benefited from the battle against drugs are theAbillionaire drugs barons. The claim is made in a document issued@in the Belgian capital by the international anti-prohibitionist6league, a group linked to the radical party in Italy.?   The report claims that the war against drugs has been lost,Awith only five percent to 10 percent of the drugs in circulationbeing seized.A   It argues that the price of heroin increases 17-hundred times@between the point of production and the point of sale.  It saysBthis is because the drug is illegal.  And it says the main people@to benefit from the inflated price are the drug barons.  In theBwords of the report, a gram of heroin is worth 10 times the valueof a gram of gold.?   The document says prohibition has made drug trafficking the>most profitable business in the world, and prohibition is the'main reason for its continuing growth.A   A leading free market economist, Milton Friedman, contributed@to the report.  He suggests that it is because of the legal ban?on the supply of drugs that so much money can be made from theAtrade.  He says the main beneficiaries from drug prohibition areBdrug lords who can maintain a cartel that they would  not be able4to maintain without current U.S. government policy.B   The report also suggests that the aids menace is worse than it@might be because of strict controls on drugs, and it says drugs9are a more important source of transmission of aids thanhomosexual activity.<   Furthermore, the report suggests that the high prices of@illegal drugs lead addicts into crime, boosting the crime rate.;The report shows that the Swiss have the largest number of:arrests for drug offenses, followed by the United States.   ---------------   ---------------#   ELECTION 94:  BLACK REPUBLICANS
   DON HENRY   WASHINGTON:   The Republican Party triumph in the U.S. elections has<heartened the small but growing number of African Americans8who vote Republican. The percentage of blacks who voted=Republican in the state and congressional balloting doubled,Aalthough nearly nine of 10 black voters remain in the democraticcamp.@   Black journalist and political activist Gwen Daye RichardsonAsays great numbers of African Americans are deeply religious and=conservative, and that's why they are beginning to break the'habit of voting for liberal democrats.A   The chief editor of the "American Minority Politics" magazine;says the Republican Party in recent national elections hasBmanaged to attract only about six per cent of the black vote. But9in this year's elections, 12 percent of blacks voted forRepublican candidates.<   At a Washington news conference held by black RepublicanBactivists, she said her magazine and the "Black America Political=Action Committee" will try to organize an even greater black;shift to the Republican side in the 1996 general election.9   Richardson said it makes sense to have a strong blackcontingent in both parties:?   "When you have all of your votes in one basket, all of your:political eggs in one basket (Democratic Party), when the<Republicans get in, as they did (now) in both houses of the@congress, you really are left with  no place at the negotiatingtable.">   Richardson said black Republicans want programs to develop=strong family values, small business development, individual6responsibility and less government in people's lives:B   "We also want to recommend to the (Republican) party that whenAthey implement budget cuts that they not put all the cuts on theBback of the middle class and the poor. The cuts need to be acrossthe board."=   As for welfare, a word often deemed to have an anti-black<racial connotation, she said black Republicans want welfareAprograms reformed during the next five years so that they become>a safety net for hard times only, and not a long-term supportsystem.B   The black political action committee said it hopes to bankrollAa number of campaigns in 1996 and get financial backing from the=Republican Party to help bring more black conservatives into;state and national elected office.  The committee said the>victory of former athlete and outspoken black conservative JCAWatts in a predominantly white Democratic Congressional district#in Oklahoma proves it can be done.   ---------------   ---------------   GROWTH INVESTING   BRECK ARDERY   NEW YORKA   Financial market analysts say that, over the long-term in the=United States, stocks have consistently provided the largest@returns compared to virtually any other type of investment. But=many Americans still avoid the stock market, citing concerns$about risk and a lack of knowledge.=   John Train runs one of the largest counseling firms whichBdeals only with individual investors. He believes there are a few=basic principles which successful long-term investors in the!United States invariably follow.?   One, and possibly the most important, Mr. Train says, is to?always realize that the stock of any company is never detached?from the firm's underlying business performance and prospects:=   "Almost no great investor, and I have written a number of8studies on this, thinks of a stock as detached from theBunderlying business or as a butterfly that flutters about. All ofAthem think that buying a share of stock means becoming a partner;in the business. That is where the analysis should begin."@   Mr. Train, who has just written a new book titled "the craftBof investing," says long-term investors should buy what are known#as "growth" stocks and be patient.A   Train believes it is really rather easy to identify companies#with sustainable growth prospects:@   The first thing is determine that it (a company) has in fact6been growing. You can do that either by a statistical?presentation or a chart. You just look at the thing and if theAearnings and dividends have been rising, the stock will rise. If8that has been going on for many years, you find out theexplanation for it.B   Mr. Train says another key indicator that a stock will grow isAthe level of legal "insider" buying, that is a corporation's topBexecutives using their own money to buy their firm's stock on theBopen market. American law requires company managers to notify the7government about their "insider" transactions and that(information is available to the public.@   "The most knowledgeable buyers are company executives," saysATrain, "who understand their own industry and particularly their=own company. So if you notice a light bulb company executive?buying his own stock, you should pay a lot of attention to it.=Insider purchases are the most knowledgeable kind of buying.?Insider sales are far less significant because people can sell=for hundreds of reasons but they only buy stock in their own3company for one reason and that is to make money."<   Investment advisor John Train repeatedly emphasizes that@growth investors are long-term investors who do not worry aboutAdaily or weekly fluctuations in stock prices. By "long-term" Mr.@Train means usually four years or more. He urges his clients to@re-evaluate their stocks about every four years to determine if0they still contain prospects for future growth.<   In a way, Mr. Train says, growth stocks are like people:<   "Growth stocks have an almost human life cycle. They are@created, they grow into lusty youth, they become mature and, inAtheir latter days, they become feeble. If you are a growth stock:investor you want to stay with lusty growth to the extent>possible. The company that can truly renew itself and move onAfrom a growth niche in a growth industry to another growth niche0in a different growth industry is rare indeed.">   Of course, not every stock, no matter how promising it may@look, will rise in value over time.  Mr. Train says perhaps theBsingle biggest mistake most individual investors make is refusing$to sell a stock which has declined.@   In essence, John Train says many Americans have become quiteAwealthy simply by applying rational analysis to the fundamentalsAof companies, buying stock in those which show consistent growth:and holding the stock long enough to earn their financial	rewards.   ---------------   ---------------   HONG KONG TRAFFIC   MAX RUSTON
   HONG KONG>   Can you guess what Hong Kong has in common with Lagos, Los:Angeles, Beijing and Bangkok?  Hong Kong's transportationBdepartment recently came up with the answer:  Traffic congestion.ATransportation officials say they, unlike planners in most other>cities, have a plan that might help to alleviate the problem.@   Transportation officials paint a grim picture of Hong Kong's<traffic problems.  Officials say, at current growth levels,Atraffic will eventually grind to a halt.  They say, if action isBnot taken, economic losses could reach two billion dollars by theAbeginning of the next century and 14 billion dollars by the year2011.A   In an attempt to alleviate the problem, Hong Kong's transport@secretary has released a package of proposals aimed at reducingBthe number of cars on the road.  One is for the installation of aAsystem called ERP, which stands for electronic road pricing. TheBcost and sophistication of the system puts it out of the range ofmost other cities.;   The ERP system would monitor cars on the city's busiest>streets, and automatically charge them fees, depending on the>time of day and distance traveled.  When the system was first=proposed in the territory 10 years ago, legislators voted it?down, amid fears it would lead to violations of privacy.  They=said the government could use it as a tool for surveillance,7tracking the movement of political dissidents or other
individuals.@   Transport officials say they have been searching for ways to=reduce those concerns.  They say ERP technology has advancedrapidly, over the last decade.B   They say, under current technology, each driver could purchase@a generic item called a smart card, which would have a monetary=value stored within it.  Drivers would set the card in theirAfront windshields.  Each time they drive on certain roads, theirBsmart card would be read by electronic sensors and an appropriateAamount of money would be deducted from its value.  Officials sayBthe system would identify the car, by triggering a camera to take<a photograph of its license plate, if that car's smart card'failed to electronically pay the toll.@   The ERP system would cost an estimated 12 million dollars toAinstall.  The Hong Kong government has launched a new study intoAits feasibility and says it will consider installing the system,9if other measures are not successful in reducing traffic<congestion.  Hong Kong joins London in studying the system.@Singapore has already announced plans to install ERP on some ofits roads.>   The other measures included in the government's package of@proposals include higher taxes for the purchase of cars costing?less than 40,000 dollars.  They also include a doubling of the?charge for passing through either of the two tunnels under the:territory's harbor, linking Hong Kong island with KowloonPeninsula.@   Legislators and Hong Kong's six million residents have until+the end of January to study the proposals.   ---------------   ---------------3   PROFILE: JC WATTS, BLACK REPUBLICAN CONGRESSMAN   SARAH WILLIAMS   WASHINGTON, D.C.4   Following the recent election, there will be two@African-American Republicans serving in the United States HouseAof Representatives.  The newest member, JC Watts of Oklahoma, is?the first black Republican to be elected from a southern stateBsince the reconstruction period following the American Civil War.>   JC Watts, a former college and professional football star,=will become the second black Republican to serve in the U.S.8Congress.  He will join Gary Franks of Connecticut as a@Republican member of the largely Democratic Congressional black;caucus.  Mr. Watts was one of a record 24 African-American=Republicans competing for a seat in Congress this year.  The?district he will represent in his home state of Oklahoma is 95percent white.=   According to JC Watts his success can be explained in oneword, Issues:A   "For the last four months, I've focused on talking issues and>issues that I think are important to the people in the fourth?district of Oklahoma and the people in Oklahoma, and we had an<issue-oriented campaign, and the folks elected us and we're
honored."A   In Mr. Watts' district, Democrats hold a two-to-one advantage>in registered voters over Republicans.  But he says they were'able to get beyond the party politics.?   "I don't think it mattered at all.  I won 56 percent of theAvote in the fourth district of Oklahoma in a three-man race.  So=I think the people are more concerned about where I stood on?issues, what I've talked about concerning crime and education,Bbalanced budget amendment, strong national defense.  Those are my6issues, I talked about them and again I got elected."B   JC Watts acknowledges that a small number of African-Americansare registered Republicans.@   But Watts says blacks have a future in the Republican Party:>   "I think [in] the democratic party, the black community is=taken for granted, and they say 'hey, we don't have to worryBabout the black community, they're going to support our efforts.'<and then in the Republican Party, I think we've said 'well,Bthey're going to support the democrats, so we don't have to worryAabout them.'  so I think we're going to have to cultivate, we'reBgoing to have to do some outreach, do some marketing to make sure@that we can get some quality candidates in the African-American@community to run and put their character on the line to advance;an economic program in the poor community and the minority3community. That's what we're going to have to do."9   Newly elected to the U.S. Congress, JC Watts says the?Republican Party, despite its reputation as a party of largely;white suburban residents, is sensitive to African-American
concerns:>   "I was elected in a district that's two-to-one Democrat to>Republican.  I don't think it's fair to say that in the blackBcommunity, they don't want a balanced budget amendment, you know,Bwe're going to spend a trillion and a half dollars this year, the?average family with two kids, black or white, they're going to@pay over 40 percent of their income in taxes.  I think balanced?budget amendment tax breaks for families, I think strong crimeBlegislation, I think those things are important to blacks as wellas whites."@   JC Watts, from the fourth district of Oklahoma, will soon beBthe newest African-American Republican in the United States houseof representatives.   ---------------   ---------------5   ZIMBABWE FARMERS LOSE LAND BATTLE WITH GOVERNMENT   HEATHER HILL
   HARARE?   Zimbabwe's commercial farmers have lost the latest round inBtheir battle with the government over land. A court ruling on the0land acquisition act sides with the government.=   Last July, Alistair Davies and two other white farmers inBZimbabwe took the government to court over the controversial landBacquisition act.  The three farmers have all had their properties@designated, or selected, for expropriation for the resettlement?of black peasant farmers.  The farmers asked the high court ofAZimbabwe to cancel the designation of their farms on the grounds?that the method of compensation contravenes their fights underthe constitution.>   On Thursday, the court roundly rejected their claim.  In a@sweeping ruling of 22 pages, Judge Godfrey Chidyausiku said the;government's resettlement program is clearly in the public=interest.  He said the government of Zimbabwe is entitled toBexpropriate private property if it is in the public interest.  He@concluded that the designation of commercial farms for ultimate1expropriation does not violate the constitution.A   Judge Chidyausiku included in his ruling a lengthy indictment@of the way the early settlers in what is now Zimbabwe took over?arable land without compensating the Africans who lived on it.8   Judge Chidyausiku's decision was no surprise for the>Commercial Farmers Union, which represents the country's four<hundred mainly white commercial farmers.  Peter Macsporran,?president of the union, said the farmers are appealing and the?issue of constitutional rights would have to be settled in thesupreme court.B   At stake are at least 50 farms that have been designated sinceBthe law was passed last year and whose owners have been unable toAhave their status revoked.  Meanwhile, the government says there@are still 100,000 families needing homes.  The long and intense-battle for land in Zimbabwe is not over yet.   ---------------   ---------------<   PLANS FOR A NEW OCEAN TO OCEAN WATERWAY IN SOUTH AMERICA   ROGER WILKISON   RIO DE JANEIRO<   Proponents of a billion dollar project to turn two SouthAAmerican rivers into a navigable waterway say it will allow five@nations in the region to save up to a billion dollars a year in5freight costs.  But opponents of the project, mainly?environmentalists, say it could wreak havoc on nearby wetlands7and is only aimed at benefiting one sector of society.B   All week long, supporters and opponents of the Paraguay-parana?waterway project have been locked in debate at a conference in@the northern Argentine city of Resistencia.  They do not appear=to be in closer to agreement than they were when the meetingbegan.9   Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Paraguay and Uruguay have?committed themselves to turning the Paraguay and parana riversBinto a waterway that will stretch from southwestern Brazil to theBmouth of the river plate, a distance of nearly 35,000 kilometers.BExperts say that once the rivers are deepened, the amount of timeAit takes to transport goods will be sharply reduced and the cost&per ton of cargo will be cut in half.7   Government representatives have promised to conduct@environmental impact studies before they initiate any dredging.<The project has already been endorsed by the inter-American?development bank and will be given technical assistance by the>European Union. The pact that committed the five countries toBundertake the project bans the transportation or dumping of toxic$wastes anywhere along the waterway.A   Even though environmental groups recognize the importance theAproject has for the region's development, they are worried about=its possible effects on the surrounding ecosystem.  They areAespecially concerned about what will happen to the Pantanal, one;of the planet's most important wetland areas, located near,Brazil's borders with Paraguay and Bolivia.@   Government officials deny any plans to tamper with nature inBthe Pantanal and accuse the environmentalists of being alarmists.AThey say some studies of the project by environmental groups areBfull of exaggerations and vow that the waterway will be completedBdespite what one called the storm created by the ecologists.  ButBthe environmentalists insist that the Pantanal and adjacent areas5have already been severely affected by over-hunting,@over-grazing, de-forestation and the use of chemical pollutants>and that the waterway will only make things worse.  They want@governments to drop the project altogether if the environmental>impact studies show that the benefits of the waterway will be,outweighed by severe harm to the ecosystem.   ---------------   ---------------   MIDDLE EAST ECONOMY   LAURIE KASSMAN	   CAIRO?   At the start of the month, Arab and Israeli businessmen and;politicians gathered in Morocco with their colleagues from=Europe, Asia, and Latin America to talk about how to build a?peacetime Middle East marketplace for the region's 300 millionAinhabitants.  The conference agreed to set up a business council?and tourist board to promote investment and development in the?region. Economic experts say the key to success is a change in,government attitudes toward doing business.?   The theme of the Casablanca Economic Conference was to give=private business more responsibility in building a peacetimemarket in the Middle East.:   Egyptian economist Heba Handoussa says now it is up to:governments to help them do that.  Ms. Handoussa runs the;Cairo-based Economic Research Forum, which tracks economic developments in the Arab world.B   According to Handoussa, "it is critical to have this kind of a:dialogue where the government listens to the needs of theAbusiness.  I think it's obvious that there is a big role for theAgovernment to play in promoting business and providing them with:all of the incentives and institutional framework whereby transaction costs are reduced."8   Many governments in the area have launched ambitiousBprivatization programs to unload burdensome state companies. TheyAhave also undertaken reforms to simplify bureaucracy and laws to attract more foreign investors.+   Ms. handoussa says it will not be easy:<   "If you look at the institutions in the Middle East that@promote capital markets or export promotion, you find precisely=that there are problems. And the nature of the institutions,>especially the legislation, the laws and their enforcement is;very much in need of reform along the lines of simplifying?procedures, of giving information, along the line of promoting>business environment where firms can meet with each other not=only nationally, but regionally and internationally, to formjoint cooperative agreements."@   Mr. Handoussa recognizes that economic reforms that help the-market can be a political minefield at home:?   "Some countries have moved faster than others, like Tunisia@and as compared with Egypt or Turkey. There have been obstaclesBof a political nature and a lot of resistance from powerful laborBunions and the government is more careful because of the fear fordomestic stability.">   Economic reforms and austerity measures are unpopular with=consumers almost everywhere and have sent unemployment rates	soaring.B   Islamic radicals trying to destabilize the secular governments>of Egypt and Algeria now target foreign tourists to scare off2investors and cut off a vital source of revenues.>   Ms. Handoussa says the absence of peace between Israel and'Syria also slows regional development.B   But Handoussa warns that peace alone does not break down trade
barriers:?   "Egypt and Israel have had more than 15 years of normalized=political and economic relations and yet there is hardly any?trade between them. And it's because of the lack of confidence:and mutual trust which would only come as a result of the@perception of the business community in each country that there,is a comprehensive peace and a fair peace."A   Once peace is achieved, Ms. Handoussa says cross-border trade?links and regional cooperation should come more naturally, butnot overnight.   ---------------   ---------------'   REAGAN RAISES ALZHEIMER'S AWARENESS   JESSICA BERMAN   WASHINGTONA   Many Americans were shocked and saddened recently when former@U.S. President Ronald Reagan announced that he suffers from the%early stages of alzheimer's disease.?   The Alzheimer's Association, a U.S. Support and educational?organization based in Chicago, has been flooded with telephone-calls since president reagan's announcement.B   Association spokeswoman Kathryn Kane says most callers want to0know about the symptoms of alzheimer's disease:A   "... Memory loss, serious memory loss, that prevents you fromBbeing able to do things that you used to know how to do; becomingBeasily lost or disoriented in familiar places; changes in mood or?behavior; problems with language; decreased judgment.  They're2all symptoms of problems that should be checked."A   Unfortunately, there is no cure for Alzheimer's disease; just@a general worsening of symptoms until its victims can no longer4talk or move.  They eventually die of the disorder.A   Alzheimer's affects an estimated 20 million people worldwide.@The vast majority are in their seventies or eighties, but thereBare rare cases of people being diagnosed with Alzheimer's diseasein their forties and fifties.8   Nathan Billig is director of geriatric psychiatry atBGeorgetown University Medical Center in Washington, D.C. He notes>that Ronald Reagan is the first well-known figure to publicly'admit that he has Alzheimer's disease.<   Doctor Billig says the condition still carries a stigma:A   "People who don't know about it fully think of it as a mentalBillness or think it might be a mental illness; think of people asAbeing very confused and maybe even crazy, which is not the case.@And it's an unknown.  It's a mystery kind of illness.  So, just=as nobody talked about cancer twenty years ago, certainly no>public figure would have mentioned it twenty years ago.  This/disease (Alzheimer's) now is having its turn.";   In fact, Alzheimer's disease was first described almost?one-hundred years ago by an Alsatian neurologist, Alois (pron:>Al-oh-'eese) Alzheimer.  He observed a progressive mental and?physical deterioration in affected people under the age of 65.AIn the 1960's, the definition of Alzheimer's disease was greatly:expanded to include older people.  Both older and younger>sufferers of Alzheimer's disease were found to have so-calledBplaques and tangles, characteristic markers found in the diseased'brain tissue of people after they die.B   Nobody knows what causes brain cells to wither away and becomeBmatted into plaques and tangles, although researchers are working@hard to find out. Excessive amounts of a protein called amyloid@(pron: Am-uh-'loyd) have been implicated.  And some researchers@at Duke University in North Carolina have discovered a mutation?in a gene that makes another protein, called apo-e, in a large#number of people with Alzheimer's.>   Georgetown University's Nathan Billig says there's another@intriguing, if improbable, theory about what causes Alzheimer'sdisease, head trauma:@   "Mister Reagan fell off a horse in 1989 supposedly and had aBsubdural hematoma, which he had drained.  That is a collection ofAblood that presses on the brain.  And, as one sees patients withAAlzheimer's disease, you do hear a lot of stories of head traumain the not-too-distant past."<   Doctor Billig says the experience with drugs designed to7improve the memory of people with Alzheimer's has been=disappointing.  He says that medications like tacrine (pron:?'tack-crin) offer only brief moments of improved cognition for
some people.9   But Nathan Billig is hopeful that recent developments>involving president Reagan will lead to the development of an<effective treatment, and maybe even a cure, for Alzheimer's	disease:B   "I think the recent announcement is very important to those ofBus in the field and to people who have alzheimer's disease.  It's<very courageous of him to do it, and I think it's important@because it will increase the awareness of the disease, probably:increase research dollars.  Mister Reagan has been a very?powerful man with a lot of powerful friends.  And I think this?will stimulate a lot more talk about it.  And as happened with@diseases like cancer or aids, as well-known people came out and>talked about it, it generated a lot more interest and push to$have more research involved in it."   ---------------   ---------------0   U.S STATE DEPARTMENT REPORT ON THE MOJAHEDIN
   ED WARNER   WASHINGTONA   The U.S. State Department has issued a report highly criticalBof the Mojahedin, an Iranian opposition group based in Iraq.  TheBMojahedin replies that the State Department has unfairly attacked?the organization in an effort to reach some accommodation withIran.@   Last weekend, Iran launched three missiles against a base of/the Mojahedin opposition 50 miles inside Iraq.:   At a press conference this week in Washington, Alireza9Jafarzadeh, a spokesman for the Mojahedin, said Iran had"ominously stepped up its attacks:B   "This same base was attacked by the iranian regime on previous<occasions in the form of air raids and on one occasion withBmortar attacks.  But this was the very first time that weapons of=mass destruction were being used against any of our military>bases.  There were damages done to the base but miraculously,there were no casualties."@   That was not the only attack on the controversial Mojahedin.BThe U.S. State Department has just published a report that says a@Mojahedin government in Iran would be as bad as the current one
maybe worse.B   The report says the Mojahedin, combining Islamic theology withAMarxism, helped overthrow the Shah but later was expelled by the;clergy.  It resorted to armed warfare, enaging in sporadicBclashes with the regime, sometimes at the cost of civilian lives.;   The State Department says the Mojahedin's leader, Masud;Rajavi, fosters a cult of personality and doesn't tolerate>dissent.  The group has little support, concludes the report,(except for Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein.>   At his press conference, Mr. Jafarzedeh said these charges?have been answered in a book published by the Mojahedin called"appeasing Tehran's mullahs.";   Efforts at appeasement, he added, simply embolden Iran:>   "I believe the United States is sending a completely wrong@signal to tehran.  Contrary to the demands of the congress, the9U.S. State Department issued a biased report against theAmojahedin just recently.  This report was simply a whitewash forBthe crimes and atrocities of the regime.  It was only the IranianBregime which basically welcomed this report and tried to make the@most advantage out of it.  This report prepared the grounds for=the regime to escape the international consequences of theirwrong doing."8   Some members of Congress agreed with Mr. Jafarzadeh.@Representative Dan Burton said the report was a disappointment.@Considering Iran's support of international terrorism, he said,2there should be dialogue with all the opposition.@   Jerrold Green, an analyst of international policy at rand in>California, is one of a group of specialists consulted by theState Department.B   Green says the department's view of the Mojahedin is basically	correct:6   "These are not the type of people that we would beAparticularly eager to get involved with.  But on the other hand,;we should be talking to them and anybody else who can help@educate us, inform us about what's going on in Iran.  This is a@classic instance in which the expertise lies certainly with theADepartment of State and not on capitol hill, but Capitol Hill is7legitimately exercising its authority to influence the)formulation of American foreign policy."A   Mr. Green says Iranian affairs are so complex we need all theinformation we can get.   ---------------   ---------------   ALZHEIMER'S EYE TEST   DAVID MCALARY   WASHINGTONB   U.S. researchers have developed a simple, inexpensive eye testAthat can diagnose and possibly even predict Alzheimer's disease,?the degenerative brain disease which afflicts former president?Ronald Reagan and more than 20 million other people worldwide.9Such a test would be useful, but possibly controversial.9   At present, autopsy is the the only definitive way of@diagnosing Alzheimer's, which is estimated to affect almost one<in 10 people older than 65.  There is a relatively reliableAmethod of assessing it in the living, requiring an expensive and9complex battery of neurological and psychological tests.8   But Harvard University Medical School neurobiologistAHuntington Potter and colleagues have developed an easy test for
Alzheimer's.>   According to Potter, it requires only an extremely diluted<version of the standard eye drops used in eye examinations:?   "The initial study is done by placing a drop of a drug intoAthe eye of an individual and asking whether the pupil dilates in@response to the drug.  A normal patient will not respond at allAto this low concentration, but alzheimer's patients will respondby dilating their pupils."A   The Harvard researchers report in the journal "Science" [nov.B11th issue] that the pupils dilated substantially in 18 out of 19Belderly people already diagnosed with alzheimer's or suspected ofBhaving it.  In 40 other individuals with normal brain function or=other forms of dementia, the pupils showed minimal dilation.=   The large dilation is a response to low levels of a brain9chemical called acetylcholine ['ass-uh-teel-'ko-leen] in=Alzheimer's patients.  Acetylcholine controls the tension ofAmuscles in the eye and throughout the body.  The drug in the eyeAdrops blocks its action.  Even in very diluted form, it is still8powerful enough to counter the lowered acetylcholine in,Alzheimer's victims and widen their pupils.9   Mr. Potter says the test could be extremely valuable:B   "Eventually we will have drugs to treat the disease.  But it's>very important, especially in a neurodegenerative disease, to<detect the onset of the disease as early as possible so the@treatment can be started as early as possible.  Once neurons in>the brain die, they can  not be replaced, so once somebody is4demented, it's a little late to begin the therapy."A   "Even more intriguing, the Harvard researchers say their testBmay be sensitive enough to predict who will get Alzheimer's.  The9dilated eyes of one elderly man in the study appeared to?contradict tests showing his brain function to be normal.  ButBnew tests nine months later showed he had developed a significantBdecline in memory.  Mr. Potter says the result is not definitive,?but would be if it showed up in many more people during a muchbigger study."B   The Alzheimer's Association in Chicago, a support organization>for patients and families, welcomes a diagnostic test for theAdisease.  But the group's spokeswoman, Kathryn Kane, says having@the ability to predict it raises ethical problems.  She draws a<parallel with Huntington's disease, a similar form of fatal
dementia.:   Kane fears genetic tests that detect the potential for,inheriting it might be used against people:A   "They may be denied employment or denied insurance.  They may@make life choices about whether to get married or have children?based on this information.  There are even cases of people whoAthought they were going to get the disease and when they finally@took the test, they found out that they didn't have the diseaseAand have been suicidal because they just assumed they were going?to get it and were braced for that.  When they got a reprieve,$they didn't know how to handle it.">   In addition to the ethical questions, many researchers are>skeptical of the biological value of the Alzheimer's eye dropBtest.  Various skin punch tests, blood tests, and brain scans hadAonce showed initial promise, too, only to fail in large clinical@trials.  The Harvard researchers agree that studies at least 109times bigger than theirs are needed to prove their assayA(analysis).  The process is already underway.  The University of@Pennsylvania's Alzheimer's Research Center is preparing to giveBthe test to large numbers of people and "Science" magazine quotes;its director as saying he expects other centers to follow.   ---------------   ---------------   COSTA RICA BUDGET PROBLEMS   BILL RODGERS   SAN JOSE9   The Costa Rican government is running into increasing?opposition about its plans to reduce its large budget deficit.:Both organized labor and the private sector are rejecting8measures that would reduce the government payroll whileincreasing taxes.@   The administration of President Jose Maria Figueres is under>fire for its proposals to reduce Costa Rica's budget deficit.@The government is running a budget deficit of about 460 million@dollars, an amount equal to seven percent of Costa Rica's gross>domestic product.  The collapse of a state-owned bank earlierAthis year with losses of more than 100 million dollars has addedto the government's problems.B   In response, the figueres administration, which assumed office@this past may, has proposed measures to cut government spending>and raise taxes.  The measures include eliminating government<programs and dismissing government employees.  The figueres@administration also is proposing to raise the sales tax from 10Apercent to 15 percent, increase gasoline taxes, and impose a one0percent tax on the capital assets of companies.:   Addressing a business forum recently, Finance MinisterAFernando Herrero acknowledged the measures will be painful.  ButBMr. Herrero said they are necessary to end what he described as aAcyclical problem, in which every four years a new administration"inherits a larger budget deficit.?   Finance minister Ferbabdo Herrero said this cycle hurts the@country. He said it creates uncertainty among investors because@no one knows what fiscal measures a new government will have to<take to reduce the deficit.  He said this uncertainty slowseconomic growth.A   But Costa Rica's private sector has criticized the government=proposals, saying the figueres administration is relying too?heavily on raising taxes to reduce the deficit.  It especiallyBobjects to the one percent tax on capital assets.  Addressing the>same forum as Mr. Herrero, business leader Marco Vinicio Ruiz@said the government's main tool for cutting the deficit appearsto be increasing tax revenues.@   He said this places too heavy a burden on workers, families,!and costa rica's private sector.@   Meanwhile, public sector unions have called on their members@to resist administration plans to dismiss government employees.>The unions say they will take stronger action if the figueresBadministration goes ahead with announced plans to dismiss 12,000.:However, administration officials have vowed to eliminateBgovernment programs and services that no longer meet the needs of
the country.@   Looming over the government are the measures it will have to?take to meet the conditions for receiving a 280 million dollar@loan package from the World Bank and inter-American developmentBbank. In return for the money, the government will have to reduceBits payroll by 25-thousand workers and move to break up the state>insurance monopoly.  It also will have to raise more revenues@through taxes.  These measures, if carried out, are expected to>increase the growing opposition to president figueres' fiscal
policies.   ----------------   ---------------   OUTBREAK OF CHOLERA IN GAZA   PATRICIA GOLAN
   JERUSALEMB   The Palestinian authority has confirmed an outbreak of cholera<in the newly autonomous Gaza Strip.  The Palestinian health<minister yesterday confirmed earlier Israeli reports of the+disease, initially rejected as propaganda.8   Palestinian Health Minister Dr. Riyad Zaanoun said a@two-and-a-half year old boy has died from cholera, and 15 otherApeople have been diagnosed as having the disease. There are someA20 other suspected cholera sufferers.  The cases are all in Gazacity.?   Cholera is a highly infectious bacterial disease carried by<contaminated water.  If untreated, it can kill within hours>through dehydration. Flooding as a result of recent storms is>suspected of causing sewage to overflow into water sources ingaza.<   Dr. Zaanoun  says the Palestinian self-rule authority is=getting help from the World Health Organization, the Israeli<health ministry, and Egypt and Jordan to stem the outbreak.>Israel's health ministry has halted the import to Israel fromAGaza of all food as a result of the outbreak.   The ban includes<fruits, vegetables and other agricultural product.  IsraeliBauthorities say they confiscated and destroyed some food smuggled@into Israel.   Farmers in Gaza have protested the ban, which isBcosting an estimated 300,000 dollars a day in lost exports of one!of Gaza's few sources of income.   ---------------   ---------------   MEXICO REACTS TO PROP 187   BILL RODGERS   COSTA RICA>   Mexico and two central American nations have condemned theAapproval Tuesday of a ballot initiative in California that would@deny state public services to illegal immigrants. These nations.consider proposition 187 as a racist measure.A   Mexico, El Salvador, and Nicaragua have condemned PropositionA187, which was decisively approved by California voters Tuesday.BIn a statement Wednesday, the Mexican government rejected what itBcalled all forms of discrimination or "xenophobic practices".  ItAalso said Mexico will continue to provide consular protection toall its citizens.<   In El Salvador, president Armando Calderon Sol describedAproposition 187 as an attack against human rights, and expressedBhope it will be overturned by the U.S. Supreme Court. Speaking to<reporters Wednesday, Mr. Calderon Sol also urged SalvadoranAimmigrants in the United States to remain calm. Nicaragua issued?a similar statement Wednesday, saying proposition 187 violates<the rights of all Nicaraguans and Latin Americans living inCalifornia.:   Foreign Minister Ernesto Leal said the solution to the<immigration problem lies not with proposition 187, but with@strengthening democracy and economic development in the region.AProposition 187, approved by 59 to 41 percent of the vote, would?deny school, health and other state public services to illegal=immigrants.  However, prop 187 faces court challenges and is*unlikely to go into effect for some time.B   Because most of California's estimated one-point-seven million=illegal immigrants come from Mexico and Central America, theAcampaign over the controversial measure drew intense interest in8the region.  There were numerous demonstrations againstBproposition 187 in Mexican border states and the Mexican capital.BMexican civic and labor groups have pledged to hold more protests?and some have threatened a boycott of U.S. products.  There isBsome concern that passage of the measure could damage the growing@trade and diplomatic ties between Mexico and the United States.B   To forestall this, the U.S. ambassador in Mexico, James Jones,>issued a statement Wednesday expressing the U.S. government's?opposition to proposition 187.  Mr. Jones said he believes the=measure will be overturned by the U.S. judicial process, andAexpressed hope proposition 187 will not affect relations betweenthe two nations.   ---------------   ---------------8   U.S. DEPT. OF DEFENSE INVESTIGATES MILITARY SUICIDES   DAVID SWAN   PENTAGON>   The U.S. Defense Department is investigating and trying to@explain a recent rash of suicides in the ranks, including three:among troops deployed to Haiti. Authorities believe these=incidents may be related to the pressure of peacekeeping and)other non-traditional military missions.?   Since the  Haitian intervention began in September, none of<the more than 20-thousand men and women sent there has been=killed in combat, but two soldiers and one marine have taken>their own lives.  In another widely publicized case, a marine@sergeant shot himself to death at a training camp in the united:states with about 60 horrified young recruits looking on.A   Statistics show the military suicide rate is close to that ofthe overall U.S. population.@   Still, as Undersecretary of Defense Edwin Dorn, the Pentagon@official in charge of personnel, said recently, these incidentsare a cause for concern:;   "Any suicide is, is devastating for the, for the family=involved.  In the military its also devastating to the units@involved because  these are very close-knit communities.  So we9pay a lot of attention to it and have long paid a lot ofattention to it."B   The Pentagon conducts what it calls psychological autopsies in>all such cases.  A senior defense official says investigatorsBhave not uncovered any specific cause or common thread behind thesuicides in Haiti.A   However, the official says the nature of the mission may be a>factor, because operations like this present their own uniqueAchallenges, which at times can be more stressful than combat. InAHaiti, troops who trained for quick, decisive action were thrustAinto an uncertain atmosphere.  The official says they were often<forced to observe the situation instead of acting, and were;unable to ease the widespread poverty and hunger they saw.A   The U.S. armed forces have taken on a number of such missions?in recent years, in Somalia, Rwanda and now Haiti.  The army'sBtenth mountain division, in which two of the dead men served, has@often deployed away from home, which presents another source ofstress.?   Researchers are still trying to determine if the quickening<pace and changing nature of military service contributes toAsuicide. One official says the Pentagon is determined to respond@to what she calls  tragedies, affecting young people who should"have had their whole lives ahead.   ---------------   ---------------1   POLITICAL ROADKILL ON THE INFORMATION HIGHWAY   JIM RANDLE   WASHINGTON>   Computers are playing a growing, and sometimes surprising,@role,  in American politics.  The latest election saw computers:used in unprecedented ways to organize campaigns, get out:information and to help journalists follow candidates and>results.  Ironically, one of the high tech pioneers lost in aAlandslide in the birthplace of the silicon chip, the device thatpowers most computers.B   The buzz of a computer printer, the clicking of keyboards, and?beeping of computer monitors, as revolutions go, this one does?not sound like much.  But experts say America's 1994 elections<saw growing use of various computer networks by politicians@running for office; by journalists keeping track of politicians0and by voters trying to decide who to vote for.?   Republican Congressional candidate Ben Brink was "on-line,"?using a computer network, more than most other candidates.  He@used it to coordinate his campaign volunteers, communicate with=voters who share his conservative philosophy and to help getpeople registered to vote.B   "1994 is a proto-type year," says Brink, "this is not a mediumBwhich is wide enough spread yet that it gets to everybody, but we0have learned a lot of things in this campaign."9   But not enough to win the election, Mr. Brink lost byBthousands of votes.  He wanted to represent Palo Alto California.>It's the town known as silicon valley after the silicon chips,vital to the computer-based business there.>   Brink says there are more Internet users in silicon valleyAthan in any other place on the planet making it a great place totry an experiment:?   "We know we are communicating with about 20-thousand people=regularly.  That is a small number of people compared to the@registration in the district (just over half a million), but itAcould very definitely be the margin of victory because often the=number of votes to win a Congressional election is less than10-thousand."?   Mr. Brink says his Internet campaign paralleled the regularAeffort of radio advertising, speeches, and handshaking.  He says?he will report the lessons he learned to the leadership of hisparty.@   A few candidates both parties used on-line services to reach=computer-literate voters.  New York Governor Mario Cuomo and?California Senator Diane Finestein among them.  Mr. Cuomo lostAhis race, Ms. Feinstein, narrowly, won reelection in a difficult	contest.A   Mr. Brink say many more candidates will campaign "on-line" in@the future because, compared to television advertising, it is a7very cheap way to communicate.  He says that will help>challengers who have good ideas, but little money to buy ads.?   Mike Walsh agrees with Mr. Brink.  Mr. Walsh runs a companyBthat keeps track of the people who use the Internet and what theyuse it for.?   Walsh says politicians are wasting no time getting on line:A   "As we sit here, I'm seeing messages that are flashing acrossAas newly elected representatives announcing their Internet sites,where their constituents can contact them."B   Mr. Walsh says there has long been political discussion on the<Internet and other on-line services. But he says much of it<amounts to a "screaming match" with far more invective thanBthought.  He says it would be much better to have a neutral group:set up a place or "site" on the Internet where voters can@directly compare politicians' positions on issues.  He suggests@the neutral party referee such discussions, much as a moderatorcontrols a debate.A   News accounts say two such sites have been organized and moreare expected.=   Finding out who won and by how much is getting easier for>journalists and voters.  Several states including, Hawaii and?California, put the results on a computer that can communicate>with people via computer networks.  Journalists are among the?heaviest users right now, but in the future as more states putBresults on line, voters will be able to bypass the news media and"follow the vote count first hand.   ---------------   ---------------/   SUDAN CONDEMNED FOR USING BOYS IN CIVIL WAR   CHRIS SIMKINS   NEW YORKA   An international human rights group has condemned the warring=factions in Sudan for recruiting young boys to fight in thatcountry's civil war.<   The New York-based human rights watch Africa accuses the@Sudanese government and opposition forces of recruiting boys as?young as seven years old to fight in that nation's 11 year-oldcivil war.@   The group says thousands of children have been recruited and=armed to fight in the war.  It says boys who are 10 years orAolder have even been assigned to fight on the front line.  Human>Rights Watch Africa says that violates the rules of war which:prohibit the recruitment of soldiers under the age of 15.?   Michelle Baird of the human rights group says as the war inASudan has spread from the south to the north, thousands of young:boys are being held in camps that lack food and clothing:B   "The boys remain in camps with many of them removed from their=families who are refugees in countries outside Sudan such as>Uganda, and Kenya.  In these camps they are unable to receiveBhumanitarian aid much less the support of their friends and their$families or any form of education."@   Mrs. Baird says some humanitarian aid has been able to reach>the children through the United Nations organization, UNICEF.AShe says this year UNICEF has been successful in reuniting about600 boys with their families.>   Human Rights Watch Africa is calling on the United NationsBSecurity Council to establish an arms embargo against the warringAparties in Sudan.  It also wants the United Nations to authorize?a full-time contingent of human rights monitors to observe the"recruitment of soldiers in Sudan.   ---------------   ---------------    RWANDA AND THE U.N. TRIBUNAL   DOUGLAS ROBERTS
   GENEVA<   Rwandan officials have made conflicting statements about8whether their government will cooperate with the  newlyBestablished Rwandan war crimes tribunal.  Rwanda's vice president=Paul Kagame told the BBC that Rwanda will cooperate with theBtribunal.  But, Rwandan Justice Minister Alphonse Nkubito said in'Geneva that no decision has been made.>   Rwanda cast the lone vote against the tribunal at the U.N.>Security Council late Tuesday.  And justice minister Alphonse>Nkubito reiterated his government's opposition at Wednesday'snews conference here.A   He again listed Rwanda's objections to the terms of referenceBfor the tribunal, especially the fact it will not be empowered toimpose the death penalty.@   The justice minister said his government's position reflects<public  opinion in the country.  He said the Rwandan people9demand justice and insist that those responsible for the;atrocities committed during the civil war be executed.  HeBasserted there would have been revenge killings in the streets of9Kigali had his government supported the Security Councilresolution.?   Speaking in French, Mr. Nkubito repeatedly dodged questions5about whether his government will cooperate with theinternational tribunal.B   The question is will it be effective, he said, adding that the@Rwandan government reserves the right to wait and see.  We will8judge this tribunal, said Mr. Nkubito, by what it does.>   The Rwandan official would  not say if his government willBprovide the tribunal with documents or other evidence relating to@the massacres.  He said the details of any cooperation with the%tribunal will have to be negotiated.<   He appeared to rule out the extradition of suspected war=criminals held in Rwanda for trial outside the country.  Why;should we send them to another jurisdiction, he said, when6Rwandan courts are perfectly competent to judge them.A   Mr. Nkubito said about seven-thousand suspects are already in=jail in Rwanda, and the number is growing daily.  He said he@expects war crimes trials to begin in the country sometime nextyear.5   He pledged that the trials will be open and fair.7International observers will be invited to monitor the@proceedings, and foreign lawyers will be recruited both for theprosecution and the defense.:   Mr. Nkubito said his government also will ask Zaire to@extradite those believed to have been primarily responsible forAthe massacres.  Most were leaders of Rwanda's ousted government,Band are now living in and around the vast refugee camps along theZairean border.   ---------------   ---------------/   VENEZUELA CONSIDERS USING THE DEATH PENALTY   ROGER WILKISON   RIO DE JANEIRO;   An increase in violent crime in Venezuela has spurred aBproposal by a congresswoman there to introduce the death penalty.?The idea has unleashed a public debate that is expected to get@louder next week when Congress will begin to discuss the issue.B   The proposal to introduce the death penalty was made this weekAby Social Christian cOngresswoman Haydee Castillo.  The proposal:came after Congress was given a report on rising crime in?Venezuela.  The report said that nearly 3,500 hundred murders,?2,800 rapes and more than 130,000 crimes against property took0place during the first nine months of the year.@   Congresswoman Castillo's proposal has received some support,Abut also lots of opposition.  Jose Lazo, the head of Venezuela'sBtechnical and judicial police, said he does not support the death<penalty because it has not acted as a deterrent to crime in;countries where it is in force.  Mr. Lazo said he believes;criminals should be given tougher jail sentences than they@receive now.  The police official said some Venezuelans want to=impose the death penalty because they are indignant not only=about the increase in crime, but also about the cold-blooded1attitude of many criminals toward their victims.?   Just under half of the callers to a popular radio talk showAsaid they were in favor of the Castillo proposal because, as one;caller put it, criminals have imposed the death penalty onBordinary citizens.  But human rights organizations say police are;to blame for the deaths of many innocent bystanders duringAconfrontations with alleged criminals because of what the groupsAsay is a police tendency to shoot first and ask questions later.:   One of the more worrisome aspects of the crime wave inBVenezuela is that more than half of the felonies are committed by?minors, who are protected under the law.  The justice ministryAwants to treat youthful criminals as adults if they are found to%have committed a crime deliberately.>   Venezuela's attorney general, Ivan Badell, has warned thatAVenezuelan democracy is under threat because of rising crime andAthe public insecurity it breeds.  Even though the national guard>is now patrolling the streets of caracas and other cities and=police have, since june, been given a free hand to deal with:criminals, the crime rate has shown no signs of dropping.   ---------------   ---------------*   WORLD BANK LENDS 110 MILLION TO RUSSIA   VICTOR BEATTIE   WASHINGTONB   The Washington-based World Bank has announced a loan to Russia:of 110-million dollars to reverse what the bank calls the@communist legacy of poor environmental policies. The loan comes;as Russia tries to cope with a disastrous oil spill from a8leaking pipeline in the country's remote arctic region:A   The loan, the first of its kind to the Russian Federation, is@part of an environmental clean-up package involving the Russian=government, banks and several other countries.  The money is;designed to help Russian authorities better coordinate and?organize the fight against pollution and better manage naturalresources.?   The World Bank says environmental degradation is evident inARussia's cities, rivers, lakes estuaries, factories and forests.AIt blames what it calls 70 years of fragmented and uncoordinated=environmental management in Russia while ruled by the formercommunists.B   The loan will provide technical assistance in the Upper Volga,>Urals and Caucasus regions beginning with the setting up of aAdata bank and a system to measure the level of pollution and the<state of resources.  The World Bank says there is a need to@reduce the levels of air pollution, banned pesticides, help forendangered plants and animals.@   World Bank president Lewis Preston is on a week-long tour of<Russia and the republics of the former Soviet Union.  He is7quoted as saying the underpricing of energy encouraged>environmentally harmful, as well as economically inefficient,<industries and technologies under the former Soviet system.?   The World Bank's Roger Batstone says the money will also be;used to help Russia upgrade its deteriorating oil pipeline?system.  He says the bank hopes to have the funds available by>early next year in time to begin the clean up of the Komi oilspill before the spring thaws.   ---------------   ---------------5   GREEN GOLD: THE RACE FOR ENVIRONMENTAL TECHNOLOGY   LINDA CASHDAN   WASHINGTON>   The conventional wisdom has always been that environmentalArestraints are bad for business because they force industries toBspend extra money to clean up the pollution they create. However,?a new book, "Green Gold" by environmentalists Curtis Moore and@Alan Miller, argues that environmentally sound technologies may/hold the key to future global competitiveness.A   The book contends that the search for cleaner products yields?better products.  "Pollution" is, after all, just another word:for "waste," co-author Curtis Moore says. When you reduce@pollution, you reduce waste, thereby creating a product that isBintrinsically superior, cleaner, faster, better, and cheaper.  He0points to the U.S. auto industry as an example.>   If you compare the American auto of today with models that>existed 25 years ago, Moore says, you will see the tremendous@advantages national environmental restrictions can bring about:B   "Today's vehicle will travel two, three, maybe even four times:as far on the gallon of fuel. It produces 90 percent less8pollution. It provides its occupants with vastly better8protection. The death rate from automobiles is actuallyAdeclining. But aside from all of that, it's an automobile that'sAa heck of a lot more fun to drive.  It's more comfortable.  It'sBpeppier.  It's faster. It's surer footed. And almost all of those3qualities are attributable to pollution controls."A   It is the nation's air pollution and fuel efficiency controlsBthat have created a better car, Mr. Moore says. Radial tires were>designed to take a car further on less gasoline, for example.BFuel injection was designed to create a more efficient combustion?of fuel...and so on. In other words, Mr. Moore argues, today's9U.S. automobiles are better, faster, and cheaper because>automakers were forced to build cleaner cars, not despite thefact.@   The United States had the lead in developing environmentallyAsound products in the 1970s, Mr. Moore says, but then during the91980s, political and business hostility to environmental7protection dissipated the country's dominant position:?   "The United States went from an environmental leader to, at?best, an environmental follower and that cut the legs out fromAunderneath other kinds of industries. That freed up all kinds of>technologies.  The Japanese, the Germans, the swedes, and theBdutch were all able to come in and pick up our wealth, like loosechange lying on the floor."?   Now, Mr. Moore says, those other countries are back selling=U.S. businesses products they have created from earlier U.S.
innovations.=   As an example, Moore points to a process that can convertBlimestone sludge into building materials, a process Moore says isAbeing used by Germany today, but was first created in the UnitedStates:B   "In Germany, this watery mist, this sludge is dried. The dried@material is bricketted (made into bricks). It's stored over the@winter.  When the construction season arrives, it's pulverized,Amixed with water again, and squirted between two sheets of craft>paper to fill wall board or sheet rock.  They literally buildhomes and offices out of it.":   Americans will soon be importing this new construction<material too.  The German producer is presently selling the5material on the British, Canadian, and U.S. markets.A   "That system was developed in the United States. It was firstAemployed in Arizona at a power plant in 1974.  The (U.S.) marketAfor it disappeared when American air pollution requirements wereBrelaxed, and it was adopted by the Germans in 1980, and so now in:25 years it's come full circle from Arizona back to northBAmerica, but it's the Germans making dough (money) off of it, notAmericans."7   The book abounds in other examples of environmental>technologies that were created in the United States, and then?laid to rest as U.S. pollution laws were relaxed in the 1980s,;and the impetus for such things as clean sources of energy5dissipated.   "Green gold" is a book with a warning:B"Environmental technology is the wave of the future," its authors=insist, "if American companies want to compete in the global:market, they have no choice but to design environmentallysuperior goods."   ---------------   ---------------#   TRACKING SEX OFFENDERS WITH DNA   JESSICA BERMAN   WASHINGTON?   The latest genetic technology, called DNA typing, is usefulBnot only in helping to solve brutal crimes, like rape and murder.AIt is helping authorities track down some convicted felons afterthey get out of prison.A   Experts say sex offenders are different from other criminals.AThey're more likely than bank robbers, drug dealers or murderers;to commit more crimes after they are released from prison.@   According to Paul Ferrara is director of Virginia's Divisionof Forensic Science:;   "As a result of some studies that were conducted in theB(19)80's, it was shown that convicted sex offenders, within three=years of release from prison, a full two-thirds of them were@rearrested for a similar crime. That's a rather remarkably high<degree of recidivism among convicted felons.  So, it became>intuitively obvious that if in fact this is the case, then we7stand a very good likelihood of being able to identify?perpetrators by a DNA analysis of material at the scene of theBcrime and, then, search it against a data bank of these convicted0sex offenders who have been recently released."B   In 1990, the Virginia General Assembly, made up of legislatorsArepresenting Virginians from all over the state, voted to create>such a data bank.  It consists of DNA, gene material from the?human cell nucleus, that makes people unique.  Blood and semen@samples collected from a murder or rape scene often contain DNA5that can point the finger of guilt at a perpetrator.>   Jeffrey Ban is head of the state's DNA lab, located at the>division of forensic science in Richmond, Virginia's capitol.@   Mister Ban explains that twelve large freezers contain blood1samples from every convicted felon in the state:7   "We have collected, at this particular moment, over>87-thousand samples.  And they, then, are placed into a minus@21-degree (celsius) freezer until the time when we are going toBanalyze them, or until the time that we are given permission, youAknow, 25 or 50 years from now when we can discard some of them."?   But right now, the only samples that are routinely analyzedare those of sex offenders.;   As each blood sample comes into the lab from a prisoner>convicted of a sex crime, technicians double-check all of the?information that's forwarded with the sample to make sure it's correct. Then according to Ban:@   "After they have verified all of the information and they'veBput the proper, unique DNA identifying number on to the paperwork?as well as the stain card, they will take the blood out of theBtube and put it on to a stain card.  It's like filter paper, like@white filter paper, that will absorb the blood and then we willAwait for it to dry.  And once it is dry, then each stain card is>put into its own envelope, and those envelopes, then, are put)into the freezer for permanent storage."B   When the sample is analyzed, technicians assign it a numericalBvalue based on a unique set of gene sequences, or cellular codes,<on the DNA strand, and this information is entered into the>computer data bank. When a crime scene sample comes in, it is@similarly analyzed and assigned a numerical value.  TechniciansAthen run a computer search to see if the numerical values of any=blood samples in the data bank match that of the crime sceneAevidence.  If a name appears and it belongs to someone who is no)longer in prison, police have a suspect.B   Virginia's forensic science chief, Paul Ferrara, says the data@base is often used when police have very few clues to help themsolve a crime:;   "Even in its infancy, these data banks have resulted inBseveral 'cold hits' nationally.  We had our first 'cold hit' hereAin Virginia last year.  When I say 'cold hit, what I'm referringAto is an analysis of an unknown body fluid found at the scene of:the crime for which police have no suspects, no leads, no@information at all.  We run the profile, search it against yourAdata bank and then make a match.  And then (we) are able to giveAthe name of the perpetrator to the investigator.  That's a 'coldhit.'":   Virginia is one of a handful of U.S. States, including<California, Florida, and Illinois, participating in a pilotBprogram to establish a national data bank of sex offenders.  It'sBlikely that as the use of DNA technology becomes more widespread,>a greater number of U.S. States, as well as international law@enforcement authorities, will turn to data bases for clues that2will help them close the book on unsolved crimes.   ---------------   ---------------A   U.S. EXECUTIVE SAYS AMERICA IS BEHIND IN INVESTING IN VIETNAM   ANDREW BAIRD   WASHINGTON<   A U.S. business executive says that the United States is5behind other nations in taking advantage of businessopportunities in Vietnam.=   With a population of nearly eighty million people, and anBeconomy that is growing at an estimated eight percent a year, the:southeast Asian nation of Vietnam, although still under a<communist regime, is opening its economy along the lines of<China, and that means opportunities for foreign businesses,(including those from the United States.>   But in a speech before the National Economics Club, Robert>Dalton, an executive with global industries corporation which?specializes in environmental engineering, says that the United?States lags behind other nations, such as France and Japan, inpenetrating this market.?   Mr. Dalton said U.S. businessmen need to develop a top-down=strategy in obtaining permissions at different levels of theVietnamese government:A   "If you're asking me the 24-million dollar question of how an?American should enter into Vietnam, I would go to Hanoi first,?then pay caesar his coin. In other words, pay attention to the?various ministries, see the various people.  But eventually we@have to go down to the locations.  That's where you're going todo your business.">   Mr. Dalton, who is writing a book on how to do business in@Vietnam which is due out in January, says that Vietnam, despite:its communist government, is experiencing an evolution inAfostering a business culture not unlike those that took place inwestern nations.@   But he adds that western businessmen still must take extremeAcare in making deals in Vietnam since its foreign investment lawAis often vague on details such as property rights, joint-venture-terms, and arbitration. According to Dalton:<   "You must have a contract.  You must make a western-sideAcontract. That contract from the western side has to be thorough@and has to be agreed to by the Vietnamese side.  The Vietnamese)side will nickle-and-dime you to death."?   Mr. Dalton says that U.S. firms are already helping VietnamBdevelop its sizable oil reserves and its tourism business.  He isBparticularly enthusiastic about the potential for casino gambling>in the country.  In addition, he says U.S. businesses, mostlyAthrough joint ventures, can set up thriving businesses providing@basic agricultural and industrial goods for the domestic market8and for export.  He also notes that Vietnam has several>export-processing zones, which allow firms to manufacture and@assemble export goods, while escaping certain import duties andtaxes.A   Since other nations, such as Japan and Korea, are in the lead:in forging business ties in northern Vietnam and southern=Vietnam, Mr. Dalton believes most opportunities for American<firms lie in the central section of the 1930-kilometer-long>nation which he views as neglected by most foreign companies.   ---------------   ---------------   GOP BUSINESS AGENDA   BRECK ARDERY   NEW YORKA   in general, members of the business and financial communities5in the United States were very pleased by Republican=   One of the most important issues to many business leaders7involves what they perceive to be excessive governmentregulation.B   Shortly after the elections, don nickels, a Republican Senator>from the state of Oklahoma, made it clear that his party will=aggressively seek to eliminate or reduce many regulations on
business:@   "You will see an energetic agenda in the Senate and House as8well to cut back on regulations and to know the cost ofregulations."8   Owen Ullman, an editor in "Business Week" magazine's<Washington bureau, says there are numerous regulations that>business executives would like to see modified or eliminated:8   "It is virtually across the board from environmental?standards, health and safety standards, the justice department<enforcing anti-discrimination standards, enforcement of theAdisability act, product liability limits, regulation of the auto?industry.  Business is thrilled, and I do not think that is an>exaggeration, they are thrilled at the prospect that a lot of?regulations that they thought they would never see repealed or5rolled back may be overturned by this new Congress."@   But the most immediate issue of interest to business will beACongressional consideration of GATT, the new international tradeBagreement.  The Clinton administration is pushing for approval of;the agreement as one of the last acts of the old Congress.AHistorically, the Republican Party has supported free trade but,>ironically, it may be a few Republicans who hold up the tradebill.A   Mr. Ullman says that is because of concern about a new global(trade commission which will be created:=   "A number of conservative Republicans are worried about aAsovereignty issue.  They fear that the U.S. will be surrendering>some of its abilities to regulate issues involving safety and;other matters to the equivalent of a trade United Nations,=something called the world trade organization.  For the sameBreason they have been suspicious about the U.N. as anti-American,Athey feel the same way about this new World Trade Organization."@   President Clinton has made approval of the trade agreement a8major priority, but he will need plenty of support from
Republicans.<   "Business Week" editor Owen Ullman says that health care@reform, a big issue earlier this year, will probably go nowhere?in the Republican controlled Congress, especially any proposal;which would require employers to pay for health insurance.<   But Mr. Ullman says that a reduction of taxes on capital@gains, the profits from long-term investments, seems to have anexcellent chance of passage:?   "Business is excited about it and even some Democrats favor@it.  I think that of all the tax legislation that may be passed@by the new Congress I would say that capital gains probably has%the best chance, better than 50-50."B   While many business leaders are optimistic about changes to be?made by the Republicans there is a possibility the Republicans:may not be able to do much of anything.  That is because,8although they will have majorities in both the House ofARepresentatives and the Senate, they do not have enough votes tooverride a presidential veto.?   Mr. Ullman thinks it is unlikely, but possible that a totalBgridlock, or impass, could develop between Congress and President	Clinton:B   "Yes, there is a good scenario for two years of gridlock. But,Bon the other hand, I think the voters want some results and there?is pressure on the Republicans now that they control Congress,;and on the president to find some common ground as much as:possible so they can conduct the business of the nation."B   Business leaders often make the argument that what is good forAbusiness is good for the nation in terms of an expanding economy@and more jobs.  It remains to be seen if the actions of the new=U.S. Congress will be able to deliver on the expectations of?business leaders and on the hopes of millions of Americans who*supported the Republican Party this year.   ---------------   ---------------.   IMPROVE YOUR CHANCES OF SUCCESSFUL SURGERY   VALERIE GARTSEFF   WASHINGTON,D.C.=   Most of us know which things are important to improve our:overall health: A low cholesterol diet, regular exercise,@moderate alcohol intake, cutting out smoking. But now a surgeonBadds another item to the list: Protect yourself from bad surgery.?   For many people, having an operation means fear. Anxiety is?heightened when surgery is to be carried out under anesthesia.<Some people fear being put to sleep. Others fear pain aftersurgery, or even death.9   But Dr. Edward Bradley, professor of surgery at StateAUniversity of New York at Buffalo, says that learning as much asAyou can about your operation and your surgeon can greatly reduce>the stress and fear often associated with surgery, and have a#positive influence on the outcome:9   "I'm absolutely convinced, after thirty years in this?business, that people who want to get well quickly, do it. AndBthere is a connection between the brain and the body that even ifAwe can't understand it completely today, there is one there, and>maybe in another ten or fifteen years, we'll know it. I don't@mean for this to sound mystical.  I'm absolutely convinced that>if people are well-prepared for surgery and not fearful, thatthey will get better faster."8   Dr. Bradley stresses that it's a patient's right and@responsibility to find out all the potential risks and outcomes+of surgical treatment before an operation.A   Still, Bradley is amazed how so many people submit themselves>to surgery without asking their doctors for that information:A   "Part of the nature of my position causes me to travel aroundAthe world to talk to other surgeons. I don't think it's all that=different in other countries. People are still frightened of?surgery and they don't know the right questions to ask either.>I'm telling people that it's very important that they have aninput into these decisions."=   If you decide to have surgery, he says choosing the right>surgeon to perform the operation is one of the most importantBdecisions you will ever make. Although it's rare, some inadequateAsurgeries have been performed at times. Surgeons have been known?to operate on the wrong leg, the wrong side of the brain, eventhe wrong person.>   How do you find the best surgeon? The best way is to get aBrecommendation from your own family physician, or another medicalspecialist.A   When you do speak to the surgeon, make sure you ask about his=or her credentials. Has the surgeon passed the most rigorousBexaminations and does he or she belong to a national professionalaccreditation organization?@   Suppose you're still undecided about whether you really need3an operation, and want a second surgeon's opinion.>   Then ask for another recommendation, says Dr. Bradley, and<don't be afraid of offending one surgeon by inquiring about	another:?   "I suspect that is why most people don't actually ask these@questions, but my response to that is, 'it's your body. Are youBmore concerned about you own health and well-being, possibly even@your life, or offending the person sitting across the desk fromyou?' ";   If you have a straightforward operation, such as herniaBrepair, a surgeon in your local hospital should be sufficient forAyour needs.  As a general rule, says Dr. Bradley, if you have an=underlying medical condition like heart or lung disease that@makes your surgery more risky, you will require a sophisticatedAhospital facility, likely associated with a good medical school.;The more complicated the surgery, such as a cardiac bypassBoperation, the greater the need for a highly specialized surgeon.A   How do you find that one expert that is really above average?B   Edward Bradley advises asking the good competent surgeons, the9ones you have learned to identify, for a recommendation:@   "All surgeons know who the experts are. They are the doctorsAwho write chapters, who lecture other surgeons and travel around:the world to attend these conferences to help educate theBsurgeons in their own specialties. So people in the business knowwho the experts are.";   Once you decide to have surgery, it's necessary to also@discuss pre-operative tests or blood donations, and the type of=anesthesia that will be used during the operation. Also, ask;beforehand about the types of pain medication that will be7available to you after surgery. Dr. Bradley adds that,<surprisingly, more U.S. Surgeons are willing to discuss fee?negotiations, including time payments or sometimes, a complete'release from any financial obligation.;   Except in emergency cases, most surgical operations areBelected procedures. So Dr. Edward Bradley urges patients to learn>as much as possible beforehand to enhance their chances for asuccessful operation.   ---------------   ---------------(   ISRAEL AND JORDAN TOMATO COOPERATION
   AL PESSIN
   JERUSALEM>   Israel and Jordan have a variety of cooperation plans they@hope to implement under the peace accord signed last month. But@one possible area of cooperation was not specifically foreseen.AIt has to do with Israel's tomato crisis, and Jordan's effort to
help end it.A   It is a crisis indeed to many Israelis.  Certainly not on theAlevel of terrorism or the question of what to do about the GolanHeights, but still a crisis.B   The staple salad here is diced tomatoes and cucumbers.  IndeedAit is called "Israeli Salad."  Take away the tomatoes and, well,2many Israelis do not even want to think about it.<   But the tomatoes have been taken away, or more preciselyApriced out of reach for many Israelis, by a 40 percent shortfall=in supply and an accompanying 350 percent increase in price.@   Israeli farmers had been losing money on tomatoes for years.<So earlier this year, many of them switched to other crops,6creating the shortage and some of the price increase.>   Prices really skyrocketed during the past two weeks, after@Israel barred produce from autonomous Gaza because of a cholera?outbreak.  Retail tomato prices in Israel are approaching fiveU.S. dollars a kilo.B   The paint is barely dry and traffic is light on the new bridge>along the northern part of the Israel-Jordan border, opened a9week ago in an elaborate ceremony. Jordanian agriculture@authorities decided to use the bridge to help solve the Israeli>tomato crisis and to take advantage of the high prices it has	brought.@   But Israeli agriculture ministry spokesman Ronny Hassid says-there was a problem with the first shipment:B   "They were not good.  So the Jordanians themselves decided not=to send them to Israel because they did not want that Israel>would return it.  And Sunday, we will try again to bring fromJordan, tomatoes."B   There is also an ongoing dispute about the price, perhaps just>the kind of neighborly clash diplomats had in mind to replacemilitary confrontation.@   Mr. Hassid says in any case, Jordan cannot solve the problemBby itself.  Israel needs to import five-thousand tons of tomatoesAa month, much more than Jordan can supply.  So the Israelis haveAturned to other foreign suppliers including Spain and the canary@islands.  And Mr. Hassid says the Gaza produce might be allowed$in again within the next few weeks.<   So he says the country will limp along with about enough?high-priced tomatoes until the new domestic crop comes in next
February.>   As agriculture ministry spokesman, Mr. Hassid has had more@attention than usual in recent days.  The tomato crisis has hitBnewspaper front pages, television newscasts, and radio talk shows@an unusual situation in a country which generally has plenty of!other types of news to focus on.B   "I do not know to say why it became a big story," said Hassid.>"Maybe because we do not have any other stories this week. InAIsrael, we are used (to) that every week, we have big stories ofAthe peace or of the war, this week there is nothing, so we speakabout the tomatoes."B   There is certainly some truth to that "slow news week" theory.?But it is probably also true that "war" and "peace" are remote>concepts, even in Israel, compared to the question of whether)there is any "Israeli salad" for dinner.   ---------------   ---------------&   JAMES BAKER ON U.S. FOREIGN POLICY   LORI BRUMAT   WASHINGTON@   Incoming U.S. Senate Majority Leader Bob Dole said this week>it was time to bring all American troops home from Haiti. His>statement reflects some strong differences of opinion between;Republicans and Democrats over the conduct of U.S. foreign;policy. It also raises the question of possible changes in?America's priorities overseas when Republicans take control ofCongress in January.6   James Baker, former Secretary of State in the BushAadministration, discussed a number of foreign policy issues in arecent interview.=   According to James Baker, President Clinton, who tried to>assure Asian leaders this week of post-election continuity in<U.S. foreign policy, will still be calling the shots  but aARepublican-controlled 104th Congress will also make its presencefelt:@   "I think that the constitution of the United States makes it;very clear that the president of the united states has theBauthority and the responsibility to conduct the foreign policy ofBthe United States. He has a much greater constitutional role than?does the Congress but there is some role for the Congress, and8with Republican majorities in the House and Senate, and?particularly in the Senate, it's going to be considerably more:difficult for him to conduct policies that might ignore apossible Congressional role."B   Republicans, in their statement of legislative goals, contract4with America, propose to increase defense spending.@   But Mr. Baker says that doesn't necessarily mean an enlargedBU.S. military presence on the world stage, or greater involvement<in such conflicts as the fighting which rages in the formerYugoslavia:@   "I don't think the world should expect Uncle Sam (the UnitedAStates) to come over there and bail those problems out everytime=a situation like that occurs. So, I don't think we should be>interveners in a military sense, particularly on the ground."@   Asked about the isolationist sentiment in the United States,BMr. Baker said he's not sure if it was stronger now than near the)end of his tenure as secretary of state.A   But Baker is sure it's stronger than when he took the helm at'the State Department in January, 1989:A   "I think that you saw a significant amount of isolationism in@the pronouncements of Ross Perot and in the fight over NAFTA to@get that passed. And while I think we've won that debate, those8of us who believe the United States must remain engaged?internationally , and that that is not only good economics but>good politics as well. I'm not sure we won't have that debateagain."=   Former Secretary of State Baker travelled to 90 countries@while serving as the chief foreign policy spokesman in the BushBadministration. He considers himself lucky to have held that post=at a time of incredible change, ranging from the fall of the<Berlin Wall to the success of the U.S. led coalition in thePersian Gulf.=   For his part, Mr. Baker believes continued instability in?Eastern Europe is the largest task facing the United States inthe post-cold war era:;   "I think the number one challenge to our foreign policy?continues to be making sure that reform succeeds in the former?Soviet Union and in countries of eastern and Central Europe. I>think we tend to lose sight, in this country, of the enormous:stake we have in seeing that reform efforts continue bothpolitically and economically."?   Former Secretary of State Baker does not believe the UnitedBStates should act on its own to lift the arms embargo against the-Muslim-led government in Bosnia-Herzegovina.?   Such action, Baker feels, could undermine the consensus and2necessary resolve among nations to work together:@   "I have opposed the unilateral lifting of the embargo simplyAbecause I think that this would enable our allies who would likeAto see the sanctions on Iraq lifted, to simply unilaterally liftBthose sanctions, and then they become meaningless. So it seems toBme it ought to be done in the Security Council. If some nation is@going to veto it, make them pay the political price of standingup and vetoing it."A   James Baker, currently a senior partner at the Washington law@firm Baker & Botts, has received numerous awards over the yearsAfor distinguished public service. A native of Houston, Texas, heBserved in the first of several senior government posts in 1975 as=under Secretary of Commerce to President Gerald Ford. DuringBRonald Reagan's years in the White House, Mr. Baker was his chief;of staff and, during the second term, his Secretary of the
Treasury.;   The 64-year-old lawyer has long been active in AmericanApolitics, where his skills and instincts are well respected. Mr.?Baker's name is among a number of potential candidates who may5seek the Republican presidential nomination in 1996.>   On that subject, Baker doesn't have much to say right now:>   "Well, as I say, it is a little bit early to start talkingabout it before early 1995."   ---------------   ---------------<   FILM QUESTIONS OFFICIAL EXPLANATION OF LOCKERBIE BOMBING   CHRISTINE FURNELL
   LONDON@   A member of Britain's parliament has hosted a screening of aBnew film about the 1988 Lockerbie airline bombing.  The film, the?Maltese Double Cross, challenges the official U.S. and BritishBversion of events, disputing the belief that Libya was behind the0bombing over scotland in which 270 people died.=   The British Labor Party MP Tam Dalyell, who sponsored theBscreening, suggests both the British and American governments may-have been involved in covering up the truth.<   The film alleges a Syrian-backed terrorist organization,Afunded by Iran, was behind the Lockerbie bombing, and not Libya,Achallenging the view held by British and American officials that;Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi backed the terrorist action.B   Britain and the United States jointly indicted two Libyans who@they say carried out the attack.  And Colonel Gaddafi's refusalAto hand over the men has resulted in a series of trade sanctionsagainst Libya.B   The new film is presented in a two-and-a-half hour documentary@format entitled the Maltese Double Cross.  It suggests the bomb@was planted aboard the Pan American jumbo jet in Frankfurt, and>not Malta, as is widely believed, by terrorists working for aSyrian-backed group.A   British and U.S. officials contend the bomb, hidden in a tape>recorder was placed unaccompanied on the flight to Frankfurt.<   A Labor member of Britain's parliament, Tam Dalyell, whoAsponsored the private screening attended by MP's, diplomats, and?bereaved relatives, vehemently rejects the official version ofevents:?   "The official British/U.S. version is absolutely ludicrous.BThis assumes that a bomb was posted in malta against the vehement<opinions of Air Malta, the airport authorities, the Maltese?police, and the Maltese government.  And indeed, in the courtsBthey have twice won damages for the insinuations it was in Malta.>Bluntly, the Maltese connection has been peddled by people inAAmerica, particularly the lawyers, because in order to get money=out of Pan Am insurers, they have got to prove negligence at!Frankfurt's Rhein-Mein Airport."@   An FBI report in October, 1989, obtained by the film makers,Bshows there was no evidence of transfers of unaccompanied baggagefrom Malta to Frankfurt.=   Furthermore, the film alleges western officials had priorBknowledge of the bombing, as warnings of an attack were posted on:U.S. Embassy notice boards, but did nothing to thwart the
catastrophe.B   Mr. Dalyell says this point is corroborated in the film by the@fact that a number of diplomats, notably the then South African=foreign minister, Pik Botha, were advised to change flights:B   "There is going to be a very bitter question asked and that is@how it was that the government of the united states, or certain<sections of it, evidently knew enough to withdraw their ownAofficials, to tip off a number of other key personnel to preventAthe South Africans from sending their ministers and getting themAto change planes.   Knowing all this about the fated, doomed panBam 103, how on earth were (presidents) Reagan and Bush to explain=to the American people that they knew sufficient to withdrawtheir own personnel."?   The Maltese Double Cross has been withdrawn from the LondonAfilm festival and is under threat of libel action from a retired<U.S. intelligence agent.  It has, however, been screened in6Scotland and is to be released in 35 other countries.9   The film say the bombing was in revenge for America's?accidental shooting down of an Iranian Airbus over the Gulf inAJuly, 1988, and suggests the United States moved to cover up the=Syrian-Iran connection because their help was needed to free>western hostages in Lebanon, as well as to support the alliedforces during the Gulf War.=   Mr. Dalyell says the film is sure to reignite controversy4about the bombing and alleged government cover-ups:B   "I think it almost certainly was a cover-up.  Some very seniorApeople in the United States government are going to have to look@at that film because if it is released in the United States allAhell will be let loose.  There are a lot of people in the United=States, extremely articulate and sharp who are going to want
answers."9   The film has prompted renewed calls from the victims'<relatives for a full public inquiry into the film's claims.   ---------------   ---------------=   MEXICO'S PRI PARTY EXPEL MEMBERS ACCUSED IN ASSASSINATION   BILL RODGERS   SAN JOSE@   Mexico's ruling party has decided to expel two party members:accused of masterminding the assassination of the party's5secretary-general in September. The decision follows@denunciations of the party by the Mexican official in charge of!the assassination investigation.A   The ruling Institutional Revolutionary Party, or PRI, says it:has decided to expel former lawmaker Manuel Munoz and his=secretary, Fernando Rodriguez.  The two have been accused of;planning the assassination of the PRI's secretary-general,9Francisco Ruiz Massieu, who was killed in Mexico City on?September 28th.  Former lawmaker Munoz is in hiding, while Mr.<Rodriguez and eleven other people are being held in jail inconnection with the crime.=   The PRI's announcement late Wednesday came after Mexico's>deputy attorney general this week accused the party's top twoBleaders of blocking his investigation, a charge they have denied.;The official, Mario Ruiz Massieu who is the brother of theAvictim, made the accusations on Mexican television.  He also hasBsaid he believes the killing was politically-motivated and may beAlinked to the assassination last March of the PRI's presidential!candidate, Luis Donaldo Colosio.@   Mr. Massieu's accusations are unprecedented in Mexico, which@has been ruled by the PRI since 1929.  President Carlos SalinasBreportedly has met with Mr. Massieu and PRI leaders in an attempt(to smooth over the growing controversy.   ---------------   ---------------:   NELSON MANDELA'S FIRST SIX MONTHS - FOREIGN INVESTMENT   MALLORY SALESON   JOHANNESBURG@   After six months in office, South Africa's new government of:national unity is moving forward with plans to tackle the8countries serious economic problems. Attracting foreign=investment will play a vital role in reviving South Africa's	economy.B   With unemployment hovering around 50 percent, it is clear thatBgetting the South African economy moving will be a key to successBfor the new government.  President Nelson Mandela and his cabinetAhave spent six months laying what government spokesmen call "the:groundwork" for a reconstruction and development program.@   Critics say its been mostly talk, so far.  But many in South;Africa's business community have welcomed the slow pace of>change.  Michael Spicer is the adviser to the chairman of the=Anglo-American corporation, among the world's biggest miningconglomerates.:   Spicer describes the new government as very pragmatic:?   "I think it is true to say they could not have moved faster?and indeed patience is a bit of a virtue here in the sense the>very last thing one would want is to fling money at problems.AProblems have to be defined, analyzed; projects have to be drawnup."=   Most analysts give the new ministers and their ministries@mixed marks on performance, with some doing better than others.6The director of the institute of race relations, John<Kane-Berman, says it would be unfair at this early stage to+expect any significant material successes.:   Kane-Berman says the program will be very difficult to	fulfill:A   "The RDP is in some sense the utopian document.  It's full of?transformation and reconstruction and renewal and development,Ball of them things the government is going to do for people or to6people. That's very dangerous because it comes from a@philosophical tradition that believes in the power of the state9to do good.  The RDP also has the weakness that it's got@something in it for everybody. Now it can promise everything to<everybody. But of course in politics you have to make tough?choices with limited resources and there's no sign that any of9the real choices and priorities have yet been set by the
government."B   Indeed, political analyst Eugene Nyati says the government has>been weak on some issues, particularly on law and order.  Mr.9Nyati, the director of the center for African studies in>Johannesburg, says that could cost the government in terms ofeconomic growth.@   Nyati notes foreign investors are still assessing whether to;enter the South African market, adding that any measure of8government instability does not lend itself to investorconfidence:?   "I think one of the biggest problems is lack of resolve and@focus on the part of the government.  And I think it goes right>up to the president himself.  As a result, there are a lot of@people at different levels of government who seem to be able to0challenge the government and get away with it."?   African National Congress Secretary General Cyril Ramaphosa@takes issue with Mr. Nyati's assertions and says the government%is already making the right choices:=   "The government has already demonstrated that it can makeAtough and very difficult decisions.  It has recently announced a@belt-tightening program that it's slashing salaries of a numberBof people, that it's going to restructure the civil service, that?it's even going to look at privitizing public assets.  This isAsomething that should please the international community because=some years ago it would have been unheard of coming from theANC."?   Mr. Ramaphosa says the government has promised to adhere to2fiscal discipline and to promote economic growth.@   Nico Czypionka, economist for standard bank in Johannesburg,:says it is still early to make judgments about success inattracting foreign investment:A   "I would never have expected a wave of investors to roll onto:these shores and stick their money here.  Many investors,?especially those  in the United States, really don't know whatSouth Africa is all about."<   Mr. Czypionka says foreign investors have to relearn and;explore the South African market to find the opportunitieswaiting there.   ---------------   ---------------->   DOLE SAYS HE IS CLOSE TO AN AGREEMENT WITH CLINTON ON GATT   JIM MALONE
   SENATE@   The Republican leader in the U.S. Senate says he is close to:an agreement with the Clinton administration on resolving=differences regarding congressional approval for the GeneralAAgreement on Tariffs and Trade, known as GATT. Senator Bob dole,=the incoming Senate Majority Leader, says the administration;appears willing to meet his concerns about the world trade@organization, the new bureaucracy which is set to implement the$GATT agreement beginning next year.@   Senator Dole is sounding hopeful that Congress and the WhiteBHouse can agree on legislation to be passed next year which would9allow the United States to withdraw from the World TradeBOrganization if it felt its economic interests were being harmed.;   Senator Dole says he is working closely with U.S. trade?representative Mickey Kantor to draft supplemental legislation<for Congress to consider next year which would protect U.S.@interests from arbitrary or unfair decisions by the World TradeOrganization:@   "We are just trying to make it primarily possible to get out2of the World Trade Organization if we get shafted@   Congress will vote on the GATT treaty in two weeks.  Support?for the trade pact seems solid in the House of Representatives$but somewhat less so in the Senate.A   Gatt supporters like Democratic Senator Chris Dodd say a vote4for GATT approval is a vote for more American jobs:@   "To get that kind of an international (tariff) tax break for3American industry and business, I think is a major>accomplishment.  In the short, midterm and long term, that is:jobs.  If companies in the United States can produce more?products and have new markets for their services, they can putpeople on their payrolls."@   But GATT opponents argue that America's economic competitors:stand to benefit most from the reduction in tariff rates.>   Democratic Senator Byron Dorgan opposes GATT and says GATT;supporters are still several votes short of passage in theSenate:<   "Now, GATT is sold to us and to the American people as aAmassive tax cut for the American people.  In fact, GATT is going?to be a massive wage cut for the American people and a massive4shift of jobs from our country to other countries."@   Among those in the forefront of the effort to defeat GATT is=Republican Senator Jesse Helms, the incoming chairman of the?Senate Foreign Relations Committee.  Senator Helms has already=written to President Clinton urging a delay in the GATT vote@until next year. But GATT supporters say that would effectivelyBkill its chances for passage in Congress because it would open up1the agreement to unlimited changes (amendments).;   Senator Dole was asked if he thought Senator Helm's newAhigh-profile role as chairman of the foreign relations committee=would prove to be a liability in the conduct of U.S. foreignpolicy:B   "Jesse (Helms) will never be a loose cannon. He will be firmly7tied.  He will be a cannon, but he will not be loose."B   In Geneva Friday, the head of the General Agreement on Tariffs@and Trade, Peter Sutherland, said Republican concerns about theAWorld Trade Organization and its impact on U.S. sovereignty wereB(in his words) misplaced.  Mr. Sutherland says no one could claim?that the United States did not meet its objectives in the GATTBnegotiations, adding that in some ways the United States got more@out of the trade deal than it could have imagined possible when!the talks began eight years ago.   ---------------   ---------------   SONY'S MONEY WOES   JERRY MCKINNEY	   TOKYO:   the Sony corporation took a beating on the Tokyo Stock@Exchange Friday, the day after it reduced the value of its U.S.Amovie-making subsidiaries. The Japanese entertainment giant also@reported losses of more than three-billion dollars in the firstsix-months of the fiscal year.9   Sony cut the value of its U.S. movie-making branch byBtwo-point-seven-billion dollars and announced the firm as a wholeBhad lost more than three-billion dollars in the six-months endingSeptember 30th.>   That compares to a profit of more than one-hundred milliondollars a year earlier.@   The news not only brought sony stock down on the Tokyo StockAExchange, but is also being blamed for a 34-point overall market	decline.B   Sony bought Columbia Pictures and Tri-Star Pictures five-years=ago for three-point-four-billion dollars.  The firms are now=known as Sony Pictures Entertainment.  Sony has since pouredBbillions of dollars into the studios.  But high-budget films that?did not do well in theaters, combined with management problems6means the additional money has, in effect, been lost.B   The nearly three-billion-dollar devaluation represents what is1known as the, goodwill, interest in the company.>   When such companies are purchased, the buyer normally pays<more than the assessed value in anticipation the value will@increase. That did not happen in this case, and the devaluation"is Sony's admission of this fact.B   The company says it will also have to spend many more millions<of dollars in an effort to turn the movie subsidiary into a?money-maker again.  Observers say Sony's losses are similar to=those experienced by other Japanese firms in connection with purchases in the United States.@   During the economic boom period of the 1980's Japanese firmsBwere reporting massive paper profits.  Many used those profits to@invest heavily in businesses and other properties in the united:states.  Since so much money seemed to be available, many<Japanese firms paid much more than the U.S. properties wereworth.8   The boom years were followed by one of Japan's worstBrecessions since world war two.  The resulting decline in profits@and values has made it difficult for the Japanese firms to keep1up with the payments on their U.S. acquisitions.   ---------------   ---------------%   STIFFER RULES FOR COMMUTER PLANES   MIGUEL ANGEL RIVERA   WASHINGTON, D.C.B   Air travel in the United States has long been among the safest=in the world.  But a recent study of small commuter airlines@safety records has placed those standards in doubt.  A consumer?group is cautioning air travelers not to fly on small commuter
aircraft.<   The International Airline Passenger Association issued a>warning to its members not to fly on commuter aircraft in the:United States if they carry less than 31 passengers.  The:association says the advisory is based on a 15-year study>assessing the safety record of the American airline industry.B   David Stempler is deputy director of the International AirlinePassenger Association.B   Stempler says the study showed small planes are generally lesssafe than larger airliners:?   "We basically said, 'avoid these aircraft if you can'. This>really resulted from a 15-year study that we did of the wholeBU.S. airline industry.  [ Opt ] we had previously advised members<of the dangers of flying in Russia, China, India, Colombia,@Central Africa, but they kept asking us where are the risks and=the dangers in the United States? We knew that flying in the;United States is extremely safe but we went to look at the?numbers anyway.  We did confirm that flying on the jets of the>major airlines is extremely safe, but we also were pleasantlyAsurprised to find that the large regional commuter aircraft, theAover 31-seats, is safe.  But the real problem in the system, the7safety problem exits with the under 31-seat aircraft."A   Mr. Stempler says statistics showed that the smaller commuter@planes were involved in 29 fatal accidents in the United StatesBfor the 15 years through 1993. During that same period, there was>only one fatal crash of a commuter aircraft with more than 31>seats. Although the number of plane crashes declined steadilyBover the length of the study, Mr. Stempler says change is needed.A   Stempler believes small commuter airliners should be requiredAto operate under the same safety standards and guidelines as the larger planes and jet aircraft:B   "I think the problem is two-fold.  First of all, the operators:of these aircraft operate under a lower set of safety and@operating rules as opposed to the larger, regional aircraft and<the jets.  The second thing is, we find these are the least?sophisticated aircraft operated by the lowest seniority pilots@and these regional commuter airlines.  They fly the most numberBof hours into the most challenging airports with the least number>of precision landing systems. So all of these things conspire+together to drive a higher accident rate."B   The Federal Aviation Administration, which oversees air safety;in the United States, disagrees sharply with the Passenger<Association position, calling it extreme and irresponsible.3Linda Daschel is deputy administrator for the FAA.?   Daschel says the association's warning to the flying public=sends the wrong message: That the commuter airline system isunsafe:>   "Well if you look at the facts, you can only conclude that?this is an extremely safe transportation system. Last year the@commuter airlines had carried over 37-million passengers safely=to their destination, operating some three-million flights."?   Ms. Daschel says she flies on small commuter airplanes on a>weekly basis, with no hesitation whatsoever.  She feels these=planes provide a valuable service, particularly to small and*rural communities throughout the country.@   However, Daschel emphasizes that the FAA is doing all it can=to improve on the system, particularly in such areas as crew"training and weather forecasting:A   "I can tell you that weather has long been a primary cause of@aviation accidents.  What we need to do is constantly strive toAimprove pilot skills, aircraft performance, air traffic control,>and the airport operating environment so that they can safely4operate in bad weather. We are in fact doing that."=   The National Transportation Safety Board investigates all<commercial aircraft accidents in the united states. After aBten-year study, it has issued a report that calls for imposing onAsmall commuter airlines the same tough standards followed by themajor airlines.>   The report says small commuter airline pilots receive lessAtraining, work more hours, report greater fatigue, and generallyAfly into airports that have less safety equipment than the major?airports.  Jim Hall, the Transportation Safety Board Chairman,=says there should be only one level of safety throughout the
industry.?   Hall says many existing problem areas can be addressed even>now by those airlines that have partnerships with the smaller4commuter airlines, otherwise known as code sharing:?   "They can be fixed through FAA rule-making and regulations.BThe air carriers themselves, particularly the major airlines that@have code sharing partners (share the same name and emblem withBthe commuter airlines) in this country can go ahead now and start;exercising a stronger role in management oversight, safety@audits, participating and being sure that when somebody gets onBan airline that's got the colors of the major airline, that majorAcompany is just as involved in safety as they are in painting of.the plane and the preparation of the ticket."B   Although implementing new safety regulations would likely leadAto increased ticket prices, Mr. Hall still believes safety sells@seats and more people will rely on these small airlines if theyAare indeed seen as safer.  Mr. Hall says the new regulations can0be implemented within the next 12 to 24 months.   ---------------   ---------------%   U.S. SOFTWARE DOMINATES THE WORLD   GREG FLAKUS   LOS ANGELES>   Much of the electronic equipment sold in the United States:these days is made in Japan, but there is one area of the?electronic market that continues to be dominated by the United?States, and that is computer software. A recent study provides6some of the reasons behind the U.S. software success.A   Computer software produced in the United States dominates not=only the domestic U.S. market, but the world market as well,>making up nearly 75 percent of global package software sales.<Through a series of 60 in-depth interviews in Japan and theBUnited States, Stanford University researchers identified some of>the key factors behind the U.S. success in this field and the#reasons Japan has not done better.<   One important factor has been U.S. Government support of?software development in universities and defense laboratories,=according to Shirley Tessler of Stanford's software industryresearch project:;   "This funding was not only substantial and not minutely8directed, but it was also long term; and a lot of theseBtechnologies really needed the commitment to long-term funds, ten@or 20 years before they really bore fruit (produced anything)."B   The biggest success stories in the U.S. software industry have7often been small start-up companies that have taken an&innovative, entrepreneurial approach.:   Shirley Tessler says there is a climate of support for=risk-taking entrepreneurs in the United States that does notexist in Japan:B   "Not just the entrepreneurial spirit but also the climate thatBfosters it is quite unique to the U.S..  In the United States, itBis really culturally okay to start up a small business, to not be@affiliated with a big prestigious company, but to have your ownBcompany, to potentially fail in that company and to start again."8   Ms. Tessler says the U.S. software industry has alsoBbenefitted from a prestige accorded intellectual property that isnot evident in Japan:8   "Different countries have very different ideas about=intellectual property and software is just the embodiment ofBintellectual property.  In Japan, for instance, software has long<been sold with the hardware, bundled as we call it with theBhardware and that has contributed to the perception that software?is really not a real product and not separate somehow from theAcomputer.  It was always sold with the computer.  So it does notAhave a life of its own in the minds of many Japanese consumers."=   By contrast with Japan, says Ms. Tessler, piracy is not aAmajor problem for the U.S. software industry.  Other factors forAthe U.S. success in software cited by the stanford research team?include the U.S. university system that provides comprehensiveAtraining in computer skills, the availability of venture capital<for start-up companies and the ability of U.S. companies to>market products quickly even before they have been perfected,9thereby creating future opportunities to market software
upgrades.   ---------------   ---------------   U.S. TRADE DEFICIT   ANDREW BAIRD   WASHINGTONA   New government figures show that despite a brisk economy, the8United States still faces a problem of persistent tradeimbalances.7   The U.S. trade deficit in goods and services rose a>higher-than-expected four-point-six percent in September from)August, to 10-point-one billion dollars.A   The Commerce Department said the growing imbalance was due toBfalling exports and rising imports.  Exports on an adjusted basisBwere down one-half-a percent, to nearly 60 billion dollars duringAthe month, while imports were up three-tenths of one percent, to'approximately seventy-billion dollars.@   Analysts say the September report included a number of areas6where the United States should be concerned about its?competitiveness and economic independence.  The nation saw its@imports of high-technology products rise to an all-time high, a<worrisome trend, since it is in the high-tech area that the?United States hopes to make greatest progress in curbing tradeimbalances.A   In addition, the volume of oil imports into the United States@also set a record, even though the actual cost of America's oil'Bill fell because of declining prices.B   In terms of bilateral trade relations, the news was mixed. The=contentious U.S. trade gap with Japan fell by more than four;hundred million dollars during the month, to an unadjustedAfive-point-eight billion dollars. But its gap with China swelled.to a record three-and-a-half billion dollars.@   The Commerce Department said the nation is now on its way to?running a 149 billion dollar merchandise trade deficit for theAyear, the second largest since a 152 billion dollar trade gap in1987.   ---------------   ---------------8   "BODY & SOUL" HEALTH CARE FOR AFRICAN-AMERICAN WOMEN   SARAH WILLIAMS   WASHINGTON, D.C.@   Few publications have dealt exclusively with the health careBof African-American women in the United States. That is beginningto change, however.A   Statistics show that African-American women die at an earlierBage than white women, their children have lower birth weights and<they are more likely to be infected with the HIV virus thatAcauses aids.  Editor Linda Villarosa says she decided to compile="Body & Soul: The Black Women's Guide to Physical Health and@Emotional Well-Being" as a response to a growing need among the>African-American public.  She formerly wrote for a well-known*publication designed for black Americans.B   "I had been writing at essence magazine covering health," saysAVillarosa, "and I just saw the tremendous need for more and more@information about black women's health specifically. And I even>had some people look at some health books, regular mainstream@books and said, not that there just wasn't specific information?for them but, they got angry because all of the illustrations,>all of the experts, all of the photographs were white women."@   Linda Villarosa says a book like "Body & Soul" is especiallyBuseful in addressing the serious health problems African-American0women face in greater numbers than white women:?   "Some of the most striking differences are with the serious;illnesses. And really with almost every illness from heart=disease, cancer, stroke, HIV, black women are more likely toAcontract these diseases at an earlier age and more likely to die@of them. Then there are some other diseases that are considered;manageable but that also kill black women in great numbers>including something like asthma.  And asthma is something you1think of people living with and not dying from."@   Diseases such as lupus and sarcoidosis, both of which attack?the body's immune system, are more common in black women.  And=African-American women are 75 percent more likely than their=white counterparts to have fibroid tumors, which grow in the uterus and can require surgery.:   According to editor Linda Villarosa, there has been an0inadequate level of research among black women:A   "I think it's a very detailed picture.  The reason isn't just?a simple answer but I think one of it is the research.  I mean:even women [in general] are left out of many, many health@studies, so black women are almost invisible in health studies.AAnd then it's also our access to health care, I mean even now 37=million people don't have any health insurance.  And so that3number is disproportionately people of color.  And?African-American women are the health care providers often for>whole families.  So we're the ones who take our husbands, our?brothers, our sons to the doctor. We're the ones who deal with3the children's health, as well as our own health."?   In addition, many black Americans must deal with inadequate4hospitals in poor communities.  And there are fewerAAfrican-American physicians.  About three percent of all doctors>in the United States are black, and less than one percent areAfrican-American women.@   "Body & Soul" also explores emotional well-being in additionto physical health.,   Linda Villarosa says both are important:?   "I wanted this to be an interactive book that brings in all>parts of the self, the emotional self, the physical self, and@even the spiritual self to say, 'this is all part of your totalBhealth care picture, it's not just about the cough you have, it's=not just about the headache.  It's about looking at the rootcause of the illness.'">   "Body & Soul" also incorporates the health stories of more@than 60 women.  Editor Linda Villarosa believes their words canAgive comfort and encouragement to the African-American women whoread this book.   ---------------   ---------------   A VEGETARIAN THANKSGIVING   CHUCK RICH   WASHINGTON@   Thanksgiving day is so closely identified with a turkey mealAthat some Americans call it "turkey day."  But to vegetarians in)the United States, no day is Turkey day.B   The fourth Thursday in November can be difficult for Americans@who don't eat meat.  It's not just because Turkey meat is eaten?at most thanksgiving celebrations. As described by Toni Apgar,?editorial director of "Vegetarian Times" magazine, the bird ispractically worshipped:A   "Traditionally in this country, we put a Turkey in the middleBof the table.  And we make a very big deal out of presenting this>bird, that's been roasted for several hours (in the oven, and?then we put it) in the center of the table, and we go 'ooooh!'Aand 'aaah!'  and it's too bad that vegetarians can't participate>more fully in these kinds of family, wonderful, thanksgiving, warm festivities and holidays."?   This month Ms. Apgar's magazine offers vegetarian readers aAvariety of recipes for things that are not just side dishes, butAare intended as main dishes. She herself will be serving a bakedand stuffed pumpkin.:   "Pumpkins, when you cook them," says Apgar, "turn this@spectacular, shiny, bright orange color.  And that's very, veryAtraditional in this country.  And it reminds people specifically=of harvests and thanksgiving and food that is brought to theBtable at this time of year.  I'm going to carry that thing out to>the center of the table, just like anybody else might carry aATurkey.  And I'm going to be just as proud, or more proud, of my@presentation, because, for one thing, I think it represents the@American heritage, the pilgrim heritage, and perhaps the native+American heritage, more so than a Turkey."B   Ms. Apgar hired cookbook author, cooking instructor and former8restaurant owner Jay Solomon to present the recipes forBvegetarian main dishes.  In addition to the stuffed pumpkin, theyBinclude "autumn risotto with squash and spinach," "wild and brown>rice with leeks, asparagus and corn," and "pumpkin curry withlentils and apples."@   Jay Solomon says his vegetarian main dishes for thanksgivingBare tasty as well as healthful, and have another obvious benefit:?   "There's a plethora of meatless dishes [so] that Mr. Turkey@does not have to take part in, and he can be, he can attend the6meal but he doesn't have to be the main centerpiece."A   In the buffalo, New York area, two live Turkeys actually wereAguests of honor at an early thanksgiving celebration held by the-Animal Rights Advocates of western New York.@   Nan Simpson, a founding member of the organization, says the>annual meal not only makes a point about animal rights ... It
tastes good:@   "I think if people experimented more with meatless meals and?vegetarian cuisine, they would really find that the variety is:really in the vegetable world and not in the meat world."6   Ms. Simpson says much of the animal rights group's?thanksgiving menu looked like most Americans' holiday dinners:B   "We had the traditional thanksgiving fare that everyone thinksAof, the sweet potatoes, mashed potatoes, we had stuffing, we hadBstuffed pumpkin, stuffed with all kinds of stuffing, with roastedAchestnuts and lentils.  And for people who might think that they?miss the taste or texture of meat, there are so many different?kinds of products on the market now.  They could always find a@soy-based or wheat gluten-based substitute.  And the vegetarian=gravy was really delicious with that.  So I think of all theApeople who went through our banquet line, no one missed having a@dead bird on the table. There was just really no reason to havethat."B   While the humans ate thanksgiving foods without the meat, what)did the Turkeys, Florian and Emily, eat?>   According to Simpson, "the birds had their own traditional?dinner.  They did have cranberries, they had some grapes, they>had corn. They like grains a lot, so they did have some corn.?And I think some of the children were trying to sneak 'em somepumpkin pie.";   Just as Nan Simpson's animal rights group gave the live;Turkeys special status, the "Vegetarian Times" recipes are8designed to make vegetarian dishes just as important to@thanksgiving as Turkey meat has been.  The magazine's editorial@director Toni Apgar says vegetarians don't deserve to be second class citizens at Thanksgiving.   ---------------   ---------------   HOMEOWNER'S ASSOCIATIONS   PAUL FRANCUCH   CHICAGO>   If you're a new home buyer here in the United States these@days, chances are good your abode is part of something called aA"homeowners association."  These are private organizations which9provide services to homeowners and manage commonly-owned@property. But associations also mandate certain rules of living?which go beyond legal challenge.  That may lead to a political@movement for change, says a Chicago scholar who has studied the	problem.<   Attorney and University of Illinois at Chicago political@scientist Evan Mc Kenzie recently wrote a book about homeownersAassociations, which are technically non-profit corporations thatBprovide services ranging from general maintenance to extra police@protection.  Residents pay a "tax" for this service in the form>of a monthly fee or assessment.  The associations are private;groups which act like mini-governments, says Mr. McKenzie.A   McKenzie says they set covenants, conditions and restrictionsAon what you can do in your home, and all that is recorded on theproperty deed:=   "When you buy one of these homes, you have no choice. You9automatically become a member of the association and you9automatically consent to all the rules the developer has
written."=   Property developers usually set the conditions, which can>later be changed by association board members elected by home#owners. Restrictions vary greatly.@   But almost always says McKenzie, buyers seldom read the rule8books before signing a contract to purchase a new home:A   We know, across the country, that people buy these houses and@then they suddenly discover that they can't put a sign on their>front lawn, that they can't have a dog, that they cannot evenAhave a cat, that they can't paint their house, they can't have aBsatellite dish, they can't even park a pick-up truck in their ownAdriveway.  And when they discover this they say, "wait a minute.?I didn't know I had all these rules."  And someone says, "well=gee wiz, you should have read them." Well what did they get?/They got 200 pages of fine-print, boiler-plate;(standardized-forms), written by a lawyer that they didn'tunderstand.A   The number of homes in the United States that are governed by>homeowners associations grew from just one percent in 1970 toAabout 12 percent today.  With the high cost of housing, many new?buyers are turning increasingly to more affordable condominium:apartments or townhouses, which are typically governed by@homeowner associations. Professor McKenzie says examples aboundAthroughout the country of people who feel homeowner associations5impose rules which intrude on their personal rights.@   According to McKenzie, these quasi-governmental associations<are private, the courts are reluctant to rule against them:=   "They operate outside the constitution.  Because they are?private organizations, as opposed to public governments, their@activities are not restricted by the Bill of Rights to the U.S.=Constitution.   You see, the Bill of Rights only protects us>against the government. It doesn't protect us against privateorganizations."A   Mr. McKenzie says there's a growing movement nationwide amongAdissatisfied residents of homeowners associations who want stateBlegislatures to pass laws providing oversight and regulation. But=he says many property developers are fighting these efforts.<   Some developers also hope to pass laws which limit their<liability in compensating owners who sue for fraud and overclaims of bad construction.@   Mr. McKenzie says many owners also want state governments toAcertify or license property managers. But so far only one state,Florida, requires this:A   "licensing for property managers who are handling millions of<dollars.  I mean for pete's sake, you can't give somebody a>haircut without getting a license from the state, but you can9handle 10 million dollars worth of homeowner association7assessments without a license. I think that's absurd."?   Evan McKenzie is author of a new book entitled "Privatopia:;Homeowner Associations and the Rise of Residential Private1Government," published by Yale University Press.   ---------------   ---------------D   CHOLESTEROL LOWERING DRUGS MAY CHANGE TREATMENT OF HEART DISEASE   JESSICA BERMAN   WASHINGTON>   Cholesterol-lowering drugs could profoundly change the waydoctors treat heart disease.B   One researcher is calling it "the holy grail of cardiovascular>medicine."  What he is referring to is the treatment of heartAdisease with cholesterol-lowering drugs.  A new study shows that=a drug called Simvastatin reduced the risk of death in heartpatients by 30-percent.>   The reduced risk was observed over a five year period in a>study of almost 45-hundred men and women in Scandinavia.  TheAparticipants were randomly assigned to get either simvastatin or@a placebos, dummy pills that they thought were real.  Among theAkey findings, the overall mortality rate was 30-percent lower in@the simvastatin group, while there were 42-percent fewer deaths:attributed to heart disease.  Also, the need for surgery,<including coronary bypass operations and a procedure called?balloon angioplasty, was 37-percent less in the treated group.<The results of the study were published in the journal "the	lancet."B   Worldwide, heart disease accounts for about one-quarter of all?deaths.  Procedures such as bypass surgery and angioplasty, in:which a balloon is inflated in a blocked coronary artery,>squeezing plaque out of the way, are expensive and dangerous.ACholesterol-lowering drugs like simvastatin could be the answer.>   One year treatment with simvastatin or one of four similar?drugs costs between $1,000 and $2,000 per year, depending upon@the brand of medication and dose.  One coronary specialist, Dr.BLance Gould of the University of Texas Medical School in Houston,@says he plans to recommend cholesterol-lowering drugs to all of9his patients who have elevated blood cholesterol levels.@   An unanswered question that heart researchers will surely beAlooking at, the benefits of cholesterol-lowering drugs in people?who have elevated serum cholesterol but are otherwise healthy.@There is no evidence that the medications would reduce the risk3of these people developing heart disease later on.   ---------------   ---------------=   POST-MENOPAUSAL HORMONE TREATMENT TO REDUCE HEART DISEASE   JESSICA BERMAN   WASHINGTON:   Researchers say that many post-menopausal women should>consider taking female hormones to reduce their risk of heart	disease.?   For women who are past their childbearing years, the debate?often is, should they or should they not take female hormones?BIn the minds of some researchers, the issue was resolved by a new7study.  The study found that menopausal women who take;replacement hormones can sharply lower their risk of heart	disease.>   The three-year, $20-million dollar study was funded by the=U.S. National Institutes of Health.  It involved 875 healthyAwomen between the ages of 45 and 60.  Some of the women received?estrogen while others were given a combination of estrogen andAprogesterone, another female hormone.  In all cases, there was areduced risk of heart disease.6   One benefit of replacement hormones was a boost in<high-density lipoprotein, the so-called "good cholesterol."AResearchers found that that change alone cut the womens' risk of$heart diseased by up to 25-percent.@   Since the 1970's, a debate has raged over whether menopausal@women should take replacement hormones. Based on the experience;with birth control pills, there was a fear that they couldAincrease the risk of high blood pressure and stroke, but today's?experts say there's no evidence of that.  However, researchersBinvolved in the latest study noted a 33-percent increased risk of?abnormalities of the lining of the uterus among women who took>hormones.  Such abnormalities can lead to endometrial cancer.BBut they say the increased risk of abnormalities was seen only in+women who took estrogen, not progesterone.@   In the United States, heart disease strikes an estimated six7out of every nine older women. Because of the apparentBheart-healthy effects of replacement hormones, one of the study'sBauthors, Trudy Bush of the University of Maryland medical center,<said all post-menopausal women should consider taking them.=Besides increasing levels of "good cholesterol," replacementBhormones were found to reduce levels of a clotting substance thatBis connected with heart disease. However, they didn't do anythingto lower blood pressure.   ---------------   ---------------B   SOLUTION TO IODINE DEFICIENCIES THAT CAUSES MENTAL IMPAIRMENTS   JESSICA BERMAN   WASHINGTON?   The World Health Organization is calling for the widespread>use of iodized salt to minimize brain damage and other health
problems.?   The World Health Organization says 20-million people around?the globe are mentally impaired because of a lack of iodine in>their diets.  The WHO says that brain damage and other health@problems could be corrected with more widespread use of iodizedAsalt.  And the organization released a booklet, entitled "iodineBand health", to educate people about iodine deficiency and how tocorrect it.A   Iodine is one of the body's essential trace elements. WithoutBit, people can develop goiter, a swelling of the thyroid gland in@the neck, and cretinism, a condition marked by facial deformityand mental retardation.@   An iodine deficiency is both easy and inexpensive to remedy.BThe simplest way is with table salt.  In 1922, Switzerland became?the first country to treat table salt with iodine, a move thatAvirtually eliminated cretinism and sharply reduced the number of@thyroid cases.  In the U.S. And Canada, almost all of the table?salt is iodized and, as a result, iodine deficiency is rare in
both places.=   The WHO says some people have expressed concern about the>effects of too much iodine.  In some people, that can lead toAproblems.  But the WHO says most people excrete excess iodine in%their urine without any ill effects.<   Besides table salt, other good sources of iodine include?salt-water fish, seaweed, and products from animals, like cows@and chickens, whose diets contain sufficient amounts of iodine.   ---------------   ---------------,   COW CELL IMPLANTS TO RELIVE CHRONIC PAIN   JESSICA BERMAN   WASHINGTONB   A cow cell implants are bringing relief to people experiencingchronic pain.;   Researchers say people who suffer from chronic pain may@someday receive implants of cow cells.  It turns out that cells7taken from the adrenal glands of cows pump out natural>painkillers that rival the effects of traditional painkillingdrugs like morphine.=   At least that's what a small, preliminary study of cancerApatients found.  The study involved nine patients, eight of whom@had terminal cancer.  Of the nine, seven patients gained reliefBfrom the implanted cow cells.  The other two patients, whose pain?had not responded to standard painkillers, reported that theirBdiscomfort was greatly reduced with the cow cell implants.  These?patients cut by at least half the amount of morphine they were@taking for pain relief. The results of the study were presented=by researchers at a meeting of the society for neuroscience,!meeting in Miami Beach, Florida.A   The researchers concede that some of the pain relief may comeBfrom a psychological boost the patients experienced when treated.@They are undertaking a larger, more rigorous study involving 301patients to look into a possible placebo effect.A   Nevertheless, observers are calling the use of bovine adrenal?cells "intriguing."  To avoid using anti-rejection medication,?the researchers placed the cells in a thin, white plastic tubeBabout 5- centimeters long, and implanted them either in the lower@backs or brains of patients.  The tubes contain very tiny holes7that allow natural painkillers, called enkephalins and@endorphins, to leak out.  But immune system proteins that would3attack the cells are too big to get into the tube.A   Only one of the nine patients who gained pain relief is still>alive.  The others reported relief lasting until their deaths>from cancer, up to five months after receiving the cow cells.BThe researchers report that the implants produced no serious side	effects.   ---------------   ---------------   THE BAPTIST DIVIDE   DONALD LANDERS   WASHINGTON=   The Southern Baptist convention is the largest protestantBdenomination in the United States.  In recent years the faith hasBbeen strained by a struggle between its conservative and liberal,Bor moderate, believers. the two sides to assess the present state@of the convention and the future of American southern Baptists.@   The Southern Baptist Convention has approximately 16 millionAmembers.  There are about 100,000 baptist churches in the United9States and 38,000 of them belong to the Southern BaptistConvention.A   Paul Pressler is a conservative and a member of the executive.committee of the southern baptist convention.A   Pressler says the heart of the controversy surrounds how eachside views the Holy Bible:@   "The controversy in the Southern Baptist Convention has been9over the 'nature' of scripture, not an interpretation of8scripture.  Conservatives believe that when you come toAscripture, you recognize that it is the word of god, but that isAgiven through men, therefore expressing the personalities of theBwriters. But that does not keep it from being completely, totally5the word of god, without mistake and without error.">   Mr. Pressler says Southern Baptist moderates, on the other;hand, do not necessarily trust the accuracy of the bible'sinterpreters:?   "The liberals, or moderates, in the convention believe that?the scripture comes from man and that there can be mistakes or@errors in the text.  We all believe that a person has the right>to interpret scripture, but conservatives believe that we areBbound by what scripture teaches.  Liberals believe that sometimesAa person's own reasoning, a person's own opinions, can supersede/that which is a clear statement of scripture.">   Robert Maddox is the pastor of the Briggs Memorial BaptistChurch in Bathesda, Maryland.9   Reverend Maddox is a moderate and brings a strikingly@different interpretation to the question of biblical inerrancy:@   "I think the heart of the controversy in the SBC is who runsBthe show.  The conservative folks who managed the takeover, tried?to cast the whole fight in terms of the level of revelation inBthe bible.  As far as the leadership is concerned, it was whether@or not the ultra-conservative Southern Baptist folks were goingBto run the Convention, particularly at the exclusion of everybodyBelse.  Inerrancy and all those kinds of words and ideas were just!smoke screens for the takeover."@   Critics both within and outside the denomination charge that:there is an inordinate political influence at work in theSouthern Baptist Convention.@   Paul Pressler believes there is some moral justification for>certain kinds of political action, at least at the individuallevel:@   "The gospel has ramifications in our personal activities andBwe also believe that we should help create an atmosphere which is9most beneficial for the citizens of a community and most@beneficial for the proclamation of the gospel.  We believe that>when the moral principles of scripture are violated, then the<violation of those moral principles bring ill to a society.<Southern Baptists are not active as a convention in the newBright. But many individual Southern Baptists are deeply concerned8about the violations of basic biblical, Judeo-ChristianBprinciples.  Because of this, many of us, individually and not as6churches, have become active in the political arena."=   Reverend Maddox, reflecting the moderates' point of view,@argues that much of the convention's activities carry politicalovertones:;   "In my view, a lot of the present day leadership in theBsouthern baptist convention fall in the religious right. That is,@they are ultra-conservative theologically and politically.  And@they are not careful to make distinctions between one's view of>the bible and one's view of term limits (politcal movement to?limit the length of time a politician may hold public office.):they have gone that fuzzy (confused) both religiously andpolitically."8   The vigorous controversy within the southern baptist=leadership has raised questions, even within the convention,&about the future of the denomination.$   But Paul Pressler is optimistic:>   "I think the future of the southern baptists is great. The<denomination is growing.  It was growing at a rate of three>percent per year through the 1950's.  When liberalism startedAsetting in we had a steady decline in the rate of growth to lessBthan one percent.  Now that we are returning to our conservative,0basic principles, we have begun to grow again.";   But Robert Maddox thinks Southern Baptist moderates andAconservatives are on following increasingly divergent paths that(will eventually split the denomination:A   "I think the southern baptist convention will increasingly go>off in its own direction.  A major splinter group is forming,Bcalled the 'cooperative baptist fellowship.'  that group is still<saying that 'we're not a denomination', but they're rapidlyAbecoming a denomination.  It's just a matter of time until there=is a new, moderate baptist denomination coming out of all ofthis."?   One of the chief tenets of the Baptist religion is, what is?termed, "the priesthood of all believers." It says, in effect,@that every southern baptist stands alone before god; one's onlyAsupport, or authority, is found in the literal interpretation ofAthe bible. That firm belief has led to an ever-widening conflict>among Baptists in America, and there is little indication the"differences will soon be bridged.   ---------------   ---------------   WHAT FOREIGN DEBT?   MIKE JOYCE   CHICAGO@   In the mid-1980s, the United States began to be labeled "theAworld's greatest debtor nation." But, according to a book titledB"The Misunderstood Economy," by Northwestern University Professor9Robert Eisner, the classification was both incorrect andAdistorted because it was based on erroneous statistics. His book?was published earlier this year by the Harvard Business SchoolPress.@   As Professor Eisner points out, a nation's debt, or surplus,Bis actually based on investments. The U.S. Government's Bureau of@Economic Analysis adds up all the investment made in the United=States by the residents, businesses and governments of otherAnations and places a value on those assets. Then, it adds up the@investments made in other nations by U.S. residents, businessesBand government, and places a value on those assets. If a nation'sBinvestments abroad are greater than other nations' investments in=that particular country, that country is in surplus. But, if?foreign investments in a nation are greater than that nation'sBinvestments abroad, that nation is then considered to be in debt.<   In the early 1980s, the value of foreign investments andBholdings in the United States surpassed this country's investmentAin other nations. At that point, the United States was labeled aAdebtor nation. However, there was a fatal flaw in the statistics7used by the bureau of economic analysis, Robert EisnerAdiscovered. The bureau had improperly valued all nations' assets<at their original cost.  However, most U.S. assets had been=purchased some years ago and had greatly increased in value,@while many other nations' investments in the United States were1more recent and had appreciated little in value.@   For example, even gold, the author says, was being valued at>only 42-dollars and 22 cents per ounce, far before its market)value of at least 350-dollars per ounce:?   "You make these corrections and, at that time, we wiped out@virtually the entire so-called debtor nation status. And I will@say the bureau of economic analysis recognized this. It finally>abandoned this table it was putting out for awhile, saying it?knew it was adding apples and oranges, some things at originalcost, some not."A   Now, Professor Eisner says, the government computes the valueof assets properly:@   "And now they put out tables which are just for this, on the>basis of either stock Market values or replacement costs. And=they reduce this 'debtor nation (status of the U.S.)' a huge?amount, although by the current measure we're still in, quote,@'debt.' but, as I point out, it's not debt at all. And yet, youAknow, that concept mesmerized people, politicians got exercised.?And you still hear it said frequently we've become the world'sgreatest debtor nation."=   Professor Eisner, who is a past president of the AmericanAEconomic Association, thinks "debt" is a poor choice of words to<describe an imbalance that can often be viewed as positive.>Actually, being a so-called "debtor" nation is not such a bad@thing, he says, because, obviously, foreign investors believe a>country is worthy of investment or they would  not risk theirAmoney there. In fact, the United States was a so-called "debtor"@nation for much of the 19th century because many of the nations;of Europe had invested heavily in the construction of U.S.<railroads and in the development of the country's frontier.>   Most rhetoric surrounding the nation's so-called, "debtor"?status is alarmist, the economist says, and needlessly worries?the public. Actually, foreign trade, especially in the case of@the United States, which is still the world's biggest exporter,-has a built-in mechanism of self-correction.=   According to Esiner, "if the Japanese say, 'well, we haveBenough invested in the U.S. now. We want to get out. We want yen.?Where are they going to get yen? Any of you have yen? We don't>have yen. Americans don't have yen. They've got to sell theirAAmerican dollars to other Japanese. As they try to do that, whatBdo they do? They drive down the price of the dollar, by trying to
sell it.";   And, when the value of the dollar goes down far enough,Aprofessor Eisner says, the balance of trade may be readjusted inour favor:?   "Ultimately, if it's driven down far enough, Japanese goods;get so expensive that we don't buy as many Japanese goods.?American goods become very cheap to foreigners. Foreigners buyBmore of our goods. And, as a consequence, we begin to export more?to the Japanese than we're importing from them. And, that way,?the foreigners pull out by taking our exports. That's the only-way they can pull out of their investments."A   Robert Eisner is a strong advocate of global economic growth.?He says that the United States can best help itself, and otherAnations, by fostering growth at home, and by opening its borders<to a full range of unrestricted imports from less developedBcountries. This will encourage other nations to do the same. "The>prosperity of other nations will not hurt us," he writes, but="the failure to develop our own human and physical resourceswill."   ---------------   ---------------E   BABIES FEED FORMULA MORE LIKELY TO HAVE MINOR BRAIN ABNORMALITIES   DAVID MCALARY   WASHINGTON?   Dutch researchers have found that babies fed infant formulaBare twice as likely to have minor brain abnormalities than breastAfed babies. The findings offer more evidence that breast milk is)superior for infants than the imitation.8   Breast milk has been linked in previous studies withBintelligence, protection against disease, and prevention of brain>damage in premature babies.  But this new study by doctors at@University Hospital in Groningen, the Netherlands, is the first>to show that breast milk protects full term babies from minorbrain abnormalities.B   The lead researcher, Dr. Caren Lanting explains their finding:>   "Children who were formula fed or breast fed for less thanAthree weeks had a chance of having neurological abnormality that=was twice as high as children that were breast fed for threeBweeks or more.  So for the general population, you can say breast5feeding is beneficial for neurological development."=   As they report in the British journal "Lancet"  the Dutch>researchers examined more than 500 infants at birth and againBnine years later.  Of the breast fed nine-year-olds in the group,913 per cent had slight neurological dysfunction, such asAcoordination problems.  This was half the number of the childrengiven infant formula at birth.?   Among those who had the slight brain defects, those who had@been breast fed showed greater improvement by age nine than theformula fed ones.@   Dr. Lanting says scientists believe the difference is due toAcertain important fatty acids found in mother's milk, but not inmost formulas:@   "These fatty acids are very important for brain development.BBefore birth, a child can get the fatty acids from the mother and<after birth, they have to make them themselves.  But a baby@cannot make the fatty acids for about four to eight weeks after@birth.  So breast milk, which has those fatty acids, can supplyBthem, but formula milk does not contain those fatty acids, so theAbabies get low in these fatty acids and we hypothesize that thismay cause the difference."B   Dr. Lanting says formula milk companies seem not to be heeding;growing evidence that some essential factor or factors aremissing from their product:?   "We know from animal studies and even in human studies that?these fatty acids seem to be important, so it seems to me theyshould be added."7   The Dutch doctors say that, with one exception, the?manufacturers have not yet updated their formulas to make them(similar to breast milk in this respect.   ---------------   ---------------4   OREGON VOTERS APPROVE PHYSICIAN-ASSISTED SUICIDE   VALERIE GARTSEFF   WASHINGTON,D.C.>   Voters in the state of oregon narrowly passed the nation's8first law that gives physicians the legal right to help?terminally ill people commit suicide. The new law takes effect=December 8th. This measure is expected to gain internationalattention.;   The controversial Oregon initiative, called measure 16,=recently passed by a 52 percent majority vote. But observersBbelieve it may stir a long and intense legal battle in the United$States similar to that of abortion.@   Other states are trying to prevent doctor-assisted suicides,<like those involving Dr. Jack Kevorkian of Michigan who hasAdefied the law to help at least 20 patients commit suicide since?1990. But, in less than a month, Oregon will reportedly become>the first place in the world that allows physicians to assist=terminally ill people to die. For years, The Netherlands has@tolerated euthanasia, or mercy killing, by physicians, althoughit is not legal.;   Oregon's new law allows a doctor to prescribe a suicideAprescription  to a patient who has been diagnosed by a physician=as having less than six months to live. It requires a second<doctor's opinion. The patient must have made at least three@requests, one in writing, and submit to professional counselingand a 15-day waiting period.?   Aids patient Tim Shuck intends to benefit from the new law:B   "I have the aids virus and ultimately it's going to destroy my@brain, and to me that's unacceptable and I think it's importantBthat you understand I don't want to rush into this. I have over a@year until I even need to begin to deal with this. But it givesBme an option, a choice, control over my own disease, and it gives7me another option that I can deal with with my privatephysician.":   Dr. Peter Goodwin, chairman of the Oregon right to die;committee, has worked many years in support of an assisted0suicide measure, such as that passed in oregon:<   "I think that this provides an additional option for the?terminally ill dying patient. It takes nothing away from them,<nothing at all. In fact, I believe that the passage of this=measure will improve the care of dying patients immeasurably=because now patients have some power in the interaction with@their physicians. Patients now have a bargaining chip that they>can use to initiate a discussion and they can use it in their@negotiation with their physician about what options are open tothem."B   But Dr. Jane Orient, a physician of internal medicine, and theAexecutive director of the Association of American Physicians and<Surgeons, warns that the passage of the Oregon measure is a>direct violation of the hippocratic oath.  This is an oath ofBethical professional behavior taken by new physicians, attributedto hippocrates.B   According to Orient, "it states unequivocally in the oath thatBI will give no one a deadly potion, even if asked. And the reason:for that goes back to the time of hippocrates when it was<recognized how important it is to distinguish physicians ashealers from killers."=   But Peter Goodwin asserts that in the Oregon measure, theAfinal responsibility of the act of suicide lies with the patient- not the physician:B   "The patient then has to take the responsibility of having the?prescription filled, and ultimately of taking it, right at theBend of his or her life, with continuing guidance by the attending;physician. As I say, no physician wants any patient to dieprematurely."B   Dr. Orient says that euthanasia is supposed to be voluntary on@the patient's part, that people wouldn't vote for it otherwise.ABut she argues that the situation in the Netherlands suggests itBmay not remain strictly voluntary, and that some citizens fear it)could occur without a patient's consent.B   Orient notes that of 128,000 patients who die each year in the>Netherlands, five to 10-thousand patients are euthanized, and<it's not known how many volunteer for a lethal injection inresponse to social pressure:;   "But (some) patients do carry cards on them in holland,?saying, 'please do not euthanize me.' they are afraid to go to@the doctor, they are afraid to go to the hospital for fear that=out of so-called, mercy and compassion  , which is generally=compassion for people who might find this old person to be a1burden, that they might find their lives ended."<   Polls indicate that Americans are divided on the matter.?Proponents of assisted suicide like Derek Humphrey, founder of<the Hemlock Society, argue that people have a right to moreBcontrol over their deaths. The Oregon Medical Association did not@take a stand on the suicide measure, while the American MedicalBAssociation has opposed it. Many religious groups, especially the@Catholic Church, have vigorously worked to defeat it, seeing it?as an ominous first step that would lead to the deaths of weak?and vulnerable people. It is unclear now what opponents to theoregon measure will do.   ---------------   ---------------<   NEW DINOSAUR DISCOVERY MAY CHANGE CONTINENT DRIFT THEORY   GAYLE SHIRAKI   WASHINGTON;   Scientists have announced the discovery of two kinds of?dinosaurs in Africa that were unknown.  They say the discovery9may change an accepted theory about the slow movement ofBcontinents.  Paul Seveno of the University of Chicago led a group&of scientists who made the discovery.>   The bones are among the first found in Africa of dinosaurs@that lived during the cretaceous period.  The cretaceous period?lasted from one-hundred-forty-five to sixty-five million yearsBago. Scientists say both dinosaurs lived in the early part of theAperiod, about one-hundred-thirty-million years ago.  Their bones+were buried in the Sahara Desert in Niger.7   One of the dinosaurs belonged to a general group ofAmeat-eating dinosaurs known as theropods.  Its skeleton is about?two meters tall.  It is at least seven and a half meters long.?Scientists have named the dinosaur afrovenator abakensis.  The=name means the "African hunter from in Abaka."  Abaka is the+place in Niger where the bones were found.@   The other kind of dinosaur belongs to a general group called>the sauropods.  The huge animal ate only plants.  It had four>legs and a long neck and tail.  It was about seventeen meters(long. Scientists have not yet named it.@   The discoveries are leading scientists to wonder about their8theory of the way the continents began to spread apart.>Scientists believe the continents were all joined until aboutAone-hundred-seventy million years ago.  Then the large land mass<split into northern and southern halves.  The northern half@included the continents of North America, Europe and Asia.  The=southern half included Antarctica, Australia, South America,AAfrica, and India.  Once the two halves separated, the dinosaurs2in each part should have developed independently.A   But the African dinosaurs recently discovered are not similar<to those of the same time period found in South America, asBexpected.  Instead, they are similar to those that lived in NorthBAmerica, Asia and Europe.  The new discovery suggests that a landBbridge connected the separated northern and southern land masses.8This bridge permitted the dinosaurs to continue to mix.   ---------------   ----------------9   THE WEEKLY WORLD NEWS-WRITES WHAT PEOPLE LIKE TO READ   ZLATICA HOKE   WASHINGTON=   Standing in line to pay for your groceries in a U.S. food?store does not have to be boring.  While you wait you can leaf;through a plethora of supermarket tabloids with the latest'gossip, or even more sensational news.B   "Elvis is Alive", "12 U.S. Senators are Space Aliens", "How toAContact Your Loved Ones in Heaven" - why do headlines like these?attract readers? Sal Ivon is the managing editor of the Weekly7World News, which he says sells 750,000 copies a week:@   "People have a love of myth, a love of transcendence, a love5of humans going beyond what is normal and everyday."?   Sal Ivon says Weekly World News appeals to a broad range of@readers because it is, as he says "off-beat" and "quirky".  HisBeditors choose the most bizarre and intriguing stories from aboutA1000 publications from all over the world and rewrite them in anexciting way.>   Sal Ivon explains why he is not worried about publishing a2wild claim, even if the story cannot be verified:@   Somebody in a bar in Cleveland is reading this newspaper and<getting a big laugh out of it ... we are not, .... we don'tAimagine that our readers are picking up the newspaper to be well>informed.  We presume they've read the Cleveland Plain DealerBthat day and what we are doing is giving them a chuckle or laugh,=exciting them, getting them angry, basically we want them to%laugh, if possible and be delighted.@   Mr. Ivon says this is why people all over the world and fromBall walks of life enjoy his magazine, at least from time to time.7He says weekly world news already has French, Spanish,@Portuguese, Czeck and Slovak language versions, and is planningto expand further.   ---------------   ---------------!   "GRAND AVENUE" BY GREG SARRIS   SUSAN LOGUE   WASHINGTONB   Author Greg Sarris never knew he had American Indian ancestors=until he was an adult.  His mother, a young, unmarried whiteBwoman, died shortly after childbirth, and her family put the baby>up for adoption.  Sarris spent his childhood in foster homes.@When he was eight, he was taken in by native Americans in SantaBRosa, California.  He later discovered the Pomo Indians with whomAhe grew up were related to him through the father he never knew.BGreg Sarris' first novel, published by Hyperion, is a portrait of9the neighborhood in which he was raised: "Grand Avenue".?   "I wanted to paint a picture of us as people," says Sarris,A"people who happen to be Indians, people who live in town and doAsomethings like everybody else and somethings not like everybodyelse."?   Greg Sarris paints his portrait of "Grand Avenue" through aBseries of ten short stories, all but one told in the first person@by characters who live there:  A teenage girl who falls in love?with a crippled horse, destined for slaughter; a mother who is?watching her daughter die of cancer; a father who is trying to?bond with his son, without revealing his true identity; and an8aging healer who communicates with a little green frog.A   "I can't recall the details," says Sarris, "except to say the>next thing I knew I was standing in front of the shed and the@little green thing with the black glinting eyes came around theAcorner and I was full of songs.  The songs pounded the buildings?and everything in sight, and I listened to the voice and found.out about the work I was to do the next day."@   The medicine woman Nellie was inspired by Greg Sarris's AuntBMabel, a noted basket weaver and "dreamer" of the Pomo Tribe, who8shared her stories with the author when he was a child.?   "Those are the stories that planted themselves in me," saysBSarris, "and that I always found myself thinking about, wondering>about, often doubting, but then of course becoming fascinated@with them.  Those are the things that have influenced my work."B   But Greg Sarris's book "Grand Avenue" is very much grounded in;the harsh reality of the modern world, a world of poverty,-prejudice and alcoholism for his characters:<   According to Sarris, "alcoholism and poverty are certain>aspects of our lives.  They are a result of the oppression we;have experienced for the last two hundred years.  We oftenAinternalize that oppression as a people.  Our children and youngBpeople have low self esteem.  And what I want to do in my stories=is identify who and what we really are, what plagues us as a?people, in order that we might heal.  [Opt] you can't begin to@see in the darkness, until you light that darkness.  One of theAbest ways to light that darkness is with our true real stories."<   Greg Sarris says the stories in "Grand Avenue" move fromBdespair and disintegration toward healing, as the characters find=a sense of peace and understanding in their lives.  Even the=painful stories, he says, are a testimony to the survival of?Indian people in general and the Pomo Indians of Santa Rosa inparticular.   ---------------   ---------------   CAB CALLOWAY 1907-1994   HELEN LEAVITT   WASHINGTON@   The "hi-de-ho man," bandleader and nightclub entertainer Cab>Calloway, the man who was also known as the "dean of AmericanBjive", is dead at age 86.  He died Friday of complications from a@June stroke.  The electrifying performer became a living legend@of American popular music in a career that spanned the jazz era"of the 1930's through the 1980's.B   Cab Calloway was born to entertain, and entertain he did, bothAvocally and visually.  He led his band attired in a satin tuxedo?of flashy white, purple, or orange and a dashing broad-brimmed@hat.  He wielded an outrageously long baton, gyrated around the>stage and delighted audiences with an inimitable rendition ofB"Minnie the Moocher."  This tune, one of more than a hundred that,he composed, became his theme song in 1930.B   As Calloway explained it, he became a leading jazz scat singer@quite by accident one night while singing "Minnie the Moocher":B   "You see all of that came about from the forgetting of a lyric>and the 'hi-de-ho' thing came about.  I forgot the lyric to aBsong and I just put in, and it came out so great that I later sat=down and wrote "Minnie the Moocher," and put this 'hi-de-ho'-thing in it and that's what you just heard."@   Cab Calloway was born in Rochester, New York on December 25,:1907 and grew up in Baltimore, Maryland, where his fatherBpracticed law.  His father wanted him to study law, but Cab found=singing in the church choir more interesting.  By age 17, he?decided to be an entertainer.  He joined his actress sister inAChicago, learned to play the drums and sang in several quartets.AHis big break came in 1929, when he joined Duke Ellington in New>York at the Cotton Club, the pinnacle of Harlem's jazz scene.>Shortly thereafter he formed his own orchestra, played at theBCotton Club until it closed in the late 1930's, and began touringBthe United States.  His costume promoted the high-waisted, pegged;pants and exaggerated shoulders of the post-war zoot suit.BCalloway's brand of entertaining was a hit on radio as well as in;Hollywood where he starred in an all-black cast of "Stormy
Weather.">   He first crossed the footlights of broadway in the role ofBsporting life in "Porgy and Bess," a role he emphatically revivedthroughout his career:?   "Everytime I do anything from 'Porgy and Bess' it's a great?kick.  The music itself is such great music.  It tells so much/and it does so much that it's just enjoyable."@   Cab Calloway later appeared with Pearl Bailey in the musical>"Hello Dolly," and made more than 250 television appearances.;Popular music styles changed many times during the decades@between the 1930's and the 1980's, but Calloway's brand of jazz?and swing, his antics and original showmanship always found anAenthusiastic audience, both at home and overseas.  Even into hisBeighties he booked more than seventy engagements a year. Now, the1"hi-de-ho man," Cab Calloway, is dead at age 86.   ---------------   ---------------   SAFE IS SEXY   LINDA CASHDAN   WASHINGTON<   What kind of new car are you looking for?  A fast one? AAbright red sporty model?  A sleek black status symbol that looksAas though it cost a fortune?  Those are things Americans used to>look for when choosing automobiles.  However, these days U.S.>consumers seem to be less interested in looking good in their-cars and more concerned about living longer.?   Consumers' Union operates the largest testing laboratory of@consumer goods in the United States, and, indeed, in the world,@including a special outdoor road test track in Connecticut used@exclusively to test automobile models.  Bob Knoll, the director;of auto testing for Consumer Reports, the Consumers' UnionBmagazine which compares products, says for years Americans bought:cars because they were "sexy", good looking, fast, shiny,
striking.?   In recent years, however, Bob Knoll says, "safe" has becomeAsexy.  Americans have started looking for cars that are designed>either to help drivers avoid crashes or to better protect car#occupants in the event of a crash.B   As a result, Knoll says, automobiles are safer today than everAbefore, and every manufacturer selling cars in the United States4is bragging that its vehicles are among the safest:9   "The manufacturers are touting safety in that they'reBadvertising the air bags when they have them, and they almost all=do now. They're advertising antilock brakes. They're talking?about 'crashworthiness.' they're talking about 'crumple zones'=(the ways cars' exteriors crumple to cushion crash impact on=passengers).  They're talking about handling the energy from
crashes.":   Whereas in the past automakers did not mention safety,@preferring not to remind the consumer of the possibility that a=car could crash, today, Mr. Knoll says, many car makers show>pictures of crashes in advertisements just to demonstrate how?safe their models are.  The change, he says, has been consumer?driven.  Americans began demanding brakes that stopped faster;Aseat belts to prevent them from flying through the windshield on@impact; air bags that inflate on impact to cushion the blow, or7reinforced doors to better protect occupants from sidecollisions.@   Manufacturers had no choice, Mr. Knoll says, but to meet thedemand:B   "when Chrysler came out with air bags in their minivans, which>was a first for that kind of vehicle, their sales went up and?have stayed up.  So right now the price of admission is at the=minimum one bag or two bags.  You've got to be able to offer=antilock brakes because people want them, and magazines like:consumer reports have pointed out that they work and work<extremely well.  So people are very very much interested inthis."B   There has not been a reduction in U.S. highway fatalities, Mr.BKnoll says, largely because the number of cars on the roads keeps=steadily increasing.  Tests at Consumer's Union have proven,Bhowever, that auto safety devices are saving lives and minimizing
injuries.B   As a result, Knoll predicts, the cars of tomorrow will be evensafer:>   "It won't be too many more years before all cars and lightAtrucks will have two air bags.  They will have a vastly improvedAside impact protection.  Further down stream (in the future) the8technology is available to essentially radar eyes on anBautomobile much like an airplane, so that the automobile will see<its surroundings and will be able to brake or turn to avoidobstacles."B   For example, Mr. Knoll says, in the future when a driver flipsAon a turn signal, if there is a car he cannot see approaching on?that side, the radar will cause a red warning signal to flash.BCar exteriors will be better designed to disperse the impact of aBcrash away from the car's occupants, Mr. Knoll predicts.  Indeed,@he says, manufacturers are presently working on designing a newBcar phone that would automatically alert the nearest police aboutAan accident, and would give the car's location, just in case the+occupants were unable to do so themselves.   ---------------;   International News E-Wire Service (INEWS) is an English<language daily, covering news of the world.  INEWS provides;up-to-date and accurate world news.  It also includes many?features covering such topics as economics, science, medicine,$technology, agriculture, and music.<   Every day, INEWS gathers reports filed by correspondentsBstationed at 26 news bureaus throughout the world.  INEWS relates=first-hand coverage of stories from news bureaus in Abidjan,=Bangkok, Beijing, Berlin, Bonn, Cairo, Chicago, Geneva, Hong?Kong, Islamabad, Jerusalem, Johannesburg, London, Los Angeles,@Miami, Moscow, Nairobi, New Delhi, New York, Paris, Prague, Rio:de Janeiro, San Jose, Tokyo, Vienna, and Washington, D.C.A   Daily INEWS service is available for less than $4.00 a month.B   Delivered through E-mail in one of two versions, plain text or?a DOS VGA version.  The DOS VGA version is sent either throughBE-mail, encoded, or through file transfer on America Online.  The3encoded version is not available through FIDO Net.@   What is an encoded file?  Most electronic mail systems can't:handle binary files.  Binary files are word processor andAspreadsheet data files, and files with a .EXE or .COM extension.AUUENCODE is a file conversion standard.  It will change a binary@file into an ASCII file, that can be sent through E-mail.  OnceByou receive the encoded file(s) through E-mail, you can decode it,to return the file back to its binary form.;   UUXFER20 is the program we recommend for decoding INEWSAencoded files.  UUXFER20 is shareware, if you continue to use it<after the 30-day trial period you must register it with its?author.  Public domain and freeware UUENCODE encoding decodingsoftware are available.6UUXFER20.ZIP can be found at the following ftp sites:address: plaza.aarnet.edu.aupath:  micros pc oak decodeaddress: ftp.cc.mcgill.ca path:  pub ftp_inc dos fileutiladdress: ftp.clarkson.edu&path: pub simtel20-cdrom msdos filutladdress: pc.usl.edupath: pub msdos usenet>   INEWS Daily can be mailed to almost any E-mail address on:?Internet, AppleLink, America Online, AT&T Mail, AT&T EasyLink,7BITNET, CompuServe, DELPHI, FIDO Net, GEnie, MCI Mail,)SprintMail, and many local BBS services.;   A free two week trial can be received by sending E-mail0containing E-mail address, name and address to:   INTERNET: INEWS@AOL.COM   AOL: INEWS@   Specification should be made as to which version, plain textBor encoded DOS VGA version, should be sent.  The preferred methodAof delivery for PC users is through America Online.  SubscribersBwho do not have an AOL account can receive a free AOL sign up kit*with software and 10 hours of free usage.<   HOW TO SEND E-MAIL TO I-NEWS FROM VARIOUS ONLINE SERVICE?   Below are the addresses to use to send E-mail to INEWS from>various on-line services.  If you are unsuccessful in getting@E-mail to us, or your service is not listed below, contact your/service's E-mail administrator for assistance.!    From Internet: inews@aol.com-    From CompuServe: >INTERNET:inews@aol.com$    From GEnie: inews@aol.com@inet#,    From AppleLink: inews@aol.com@internet#+    From AT&T Mail: internet!aol.com!inews&    From BITNET: inews%aol.com@cunyvm     From CONNECT: inews@aol.com)    From DELPHI: internet"inews@aol.com"<    Remember to put quotes around the address inews@aol.com     From PRODIGY: inews@aol.com?    From SprintMail: (s:internet, "rfc-822":<inews(a)aol.com>)A    Remember to put the parentheses around the full address, and;    the angle brackets around the inews(a)aol.com address.;      HOW TO CONVERT ENCODED FILES INTO SELF-RUNNING FILES=   We recommend that you use the shareware program UUXFER20.,If you receive the following encoded files:   INWS1231.1   INWS1231.2   INWS1231.3   INWS1231.4   INWS1231.5>   At the command line of the directory containing the encode$files and UUXFER20 you should type:    UUXFER20 -M -D<FILENAME>8   The file name is always the encoded file with the .1)extension. In this case you would enter:    UUXFER20 -M -DINWS1231.16   This would convert the encoded files into the file>INWS1231.EXE, the self-running December 31st edition of INEWSDaily.SUBSCRIPTION RATE1 month   $7.503 months  $17.506 months  $27.0012 months $39.00END