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Voice of America, 99-07-29Voice of America: Selected Articles Directory - Previous Article - Next ArticleFrom: The Voice of America <gopher://gopher.voa.gov>CONTENTS
[01] KOSOVO INVESTIGATION (L ONLY) BY TIM BELAY (PRISTINA)DATE=7/29/1999TYPE=CORRESPONDENT REPORT NUMBER=2-252287 CONTENT= VOICED AT: INTRO: British military police investigators have detained three Albanian men in connection with the murders of 14 Serb farmers last Friday. Tim Belay reports from Pristina. TEXT: The three are in custody after NATO searches of houses in the rural region south of Pristina. Several men were brought in for questioning but released. The remaining three can be held for up to seven days. According to NATO, the area around Gracko had not been considered to be a major threat to the safe and secure Kosovo the alliance is working for. All that changed with the murders of 14 Kosovar Serb farmers Friday. NATO has stepped up security in the region. The effort is highlighted by a number of roadside checkpoints where vehicles are thoroughly searched for weapons. /// OPT ///NEB/TB/GE/KL 29-Jul-1999 08:27 AM LOC (29-Jul-1999 1227 UTC) NNNN Source: Voice of America [02] BALKAN ASSISTANCE (L-ONLY) BY BARRY WOOD (WASHINGTON)DATE=7/29/1999TYPE=CORRESPONDENT REPORT NUMBER=2-252313 INTERNET=YES CONTENT= VOICED AT: INTRO: Several dozen mostly business executives attended a conference in Washington Thursday on Balkan reconstruction. V-O-A's Barry Wood reports the participants were concerned that U-S-based firms should get a fair share of the reconstruction business in Southeastern Europe. TEXT: With the European Union taking the lead in paying for Balkans reconstruction, American firms worry that they may be at a disadvantage in getting aid contracts. Robert Finke is an associate director of the U-S Chamber of Commerce. He says it would be a mistake to tie (or link) aid contracts to the countries providing most of financing. Mr. Finke points out it is often difficult to identify the nationality of multi-national corporations. // FINKE ACT //// END ACT //// MEYER ACT //// END ACT //NNNN Source: Voice of America [03] BALKANS SUMMIT PREVIEW (L/S VER) BY LAURIE KASSMAN (SARAJEVO)DATE=7/29/1999TYPE=CORRESPONDENT REPORT NUMBER=2-252280 CONTENT= VOICED AT: INTRO: Leaders from southeastern European countries are gathering in Sarajevo, Bosnia, for the so-called "stability summit" to discuss how they can ensure the region's stability. They will be joined on Friday (tomorrow) by leaders of the European Union, the United States and Japan to see what they can do to help. Correspondent Laurie Kassman is in the Bosnian capital and and files this report. Text: Balkan leaders arrive later in the day for an opening session of the summit. They will be looking at what it will take to stabilize the region and better integrate it into the rest of democratic Europe. The meeting comes one day after donor nations pledged more than two billion dollars to help rebuild Serbia's Kosovo province. But most leaders agree that rebuilding Kosovo is not enough to prevent more conflicts in the area. The summit here in Sarajevo should produce a so-called "stability pact," which commits the Balkan leaders to pursuing stability, democratic reforms, respect for human rights and economic development. President Clinton and his European colleagues will join the summit on Friday to see what they can do to help. The one leader who has NOT been invited is Yugoslav president Slobodan Milosevic, who is now considered a pariah in the region. ///CUT HERE FOR SHORT ///NEB/LMK/PCF 29-Jul-1999 05:51 AM LOC (29-Jul-1999 0951 UTC) NNNN Source: Voice of America [04] CLINTON-SARAJEVO (L-ONITER) BY DAVID GOLLUST (SARAJEVO)DATE=7/29/1999TYPE=CORRESPONDENT REPORT NUMBER=2-252309 CONTENT= VOICED AT: INTRO: President Clinton is joining leaders from some 30 countries in the Bosnian capital, Sarajevo, for the Security Pact Summit -- a gathering aimed at speeding economic recovery and political reform in the Balkans region in the wake of the Kosovo conflict. V-O-A's David Gollust has details from Sarajevo. TEXT: The summit venue is the Olympic arena in Sarajevo that was wrecked by Serb shelling in 1992 but restored with international help in a symbol of Bosnia's recovery from its of civil war. The summit follows the donors' conference in Brussels this week that yielded two-billion dollars in pledges for reconstruction in Kosovo. And it is intended to give a formal structure to the Southeast Europe Stability Pact, signed in Cologne [Germany] in June, for broader rebuilding in the Balkans and the economic and political integration of the region with the rest of Europe. Montenegro is taking part in the summit, but its Yugoslav Federation partner, Serbia, is not. White House National Security Adviser Sandy Berger says there can be no role for Belgrade as long as Slobodan Milosevic -- the initiator of multiple Balkans conflicts -- remains in power: /// BERGER ACT ////// END ACT ///NEB/DAG/WTW 29-Jul-1999 17:02 PM LOC (29-Jul-1999 2102 UTC) NNNN Source: Voice of America [05] SUMMIT OPENS (L) BY LAURIE KASSMAN (SARAJEVO)DATE=7/29/1999TYPE=CORRESPONDENT REPORT NUMBER=2252297 CONTENT= VOICED AT: INTRO: The Balkans Stability Summit has opened (Thursday evening) with a meeting of the region's leaders to look at how they will pursue stability, economic development, and integration. European, U-S and Japanese leaders will join them to see what they can do to help. V-O-A Correspondent Laurie Kassman reports from the summit in Sarajevo. TEXT: In his opening remarks, the European Union's current president - Finnish leader Martti Ahtisaari - calls the Stability Pact for Southeastern Europe a turning point for the Balkans and for Europe. /// AHTISAARI ACT ////// END ACT ////// HOMBACH INTERPRETER ACT ////// END ACT ////// IZETBEGOVIC INTERPRETER ACT ////// END ACT ///NNNN Source: Voice of America [06] STABILITY SUMMIT ONITER (S&L) BY LAURIE KASSMAN (SARAJEVO)DATE=7/29/1999TYPE=CORRESPONDENT REPORT NUMBER=2-252302 CONTENT= VOICED AT: INTRO: The Stability Summit for the Balkans expands today (Friday) to include leaders from Europe, the United States, Japan, Russia and international organizations to see how they can help the region pursue security and economic development. On Thursday, the region's leaders met to discuss some initiatives to achieve those goals. In all, more than 40 leaders are attending. Correspondent Laurie Kassman has the details in Sarajevo TEXT: The first rounds of discussion have focussed on new initiatives to foster regional cooperation and integration. The Stability Pact Special Coordinator, Bodo Humbach of Germany, will set up three working groups by next October to focus on the summit's priority areas: economic development, regional security, and democratic reforms. Mr. Humbach considers economic development an important tool for advancing political reforms and says special emphasis should be put on stimulating small and medium businesses throughout the Balkans. Other projects will include regional transport links and closer trade ties with the European Union. The regional leaders carried on their discussions during a working dinner. They will be joined later in the day by U-S President Bill Clinton and his European colleagues to see what they can do to help the region achieve its goals. /// REST OPT FOR LONG VERSION ///NNNN Source: Voice of America [07] ALBRIGHT/KOSOVO (L) BY NICK SIMEONE (PRISTINA, KOSOVO)DATE=7/29/1999TYPE=CORRESPONDENT REPORT NUMBER=2-252303 CONTENT= VOICED AT: INTRO: Several thousand cheering Kosovars have heard Secretary of State Madeleine Albright call for tolerance as the Serb republic rebuilds from war. Correspondent Nick Simeone reports from Pristina she was given a hero's welcome on her first visit to Kosovo since the end of the war while getting a first hand glimpse of what still needs to be done to secure the peace. // CROWDS CHANTING //TEXT: They waited in the hot sun for hours, in the streets and even on the ledges of nearby buildings. Some waved American flags. Others chanted the name of the woman these Kosovars consider a hero. // ALBRIGHT ACT //// END ACT //// SECOND ALBRIGHT ACT //// END ACT //NEB/NJS/TVM/PT 29-Jul-1999 15:44 PM LOC (29-Jul-1999 1944 UTC) NNNN Source: Voice of America [08] ALBRIGHT - KOSOVO REACTION (L-ONLY) BY TIM BELAY (PRISTINA)DATE=7/29/1999TYPE=CORRESPONDENT REPORT NUMBER=2-252304 CONTENT= VOICED AT: INTRO: (U-S) Secretary of State Madeleine Albright received a hero's welcome in Pristina Thursday, but one part of her message may have fallen on deaf ears. Tim Belay reports from Kosovo's capital. TEXT: /// SFX: CHEERS FOR MS. ALBRIGHT ////// KELMENI ACT ////// END ACT ///NEB/TB/TVM/WTW 29-Jul-1999 16:22 PM LOC (29-Jul-1999 2022 UTC) NNNN Source: Voice of America [09] U-S - YUGOSLAVIA (S ONLY) BY DAVID SWAN (CAPITOL HILL)DATE=7/29/1999TYPE=CORRESPONDENT REPORT NUMBER=2-252314 CONTENT= VOICED AT: INTRO: The Clinton administration's special Balkan envoy says the Yugoslav opposition is unlikely to oust President Slobodan Milosevic unless its leaders join forces, and put their personal differences aside. V- O-A's David Swan has details. TEXT: Testifying on Capitol Hill (Thursday), Ambassador Robert Gelbard voiced doubts about the chances for democratic government in Belgrade anytime soon. Despite some positive signs, he says, the opposition remains sharply divided while Mr. Milosevic still holds the levers of power. Mr. Gelbard makes it clear there are limits to U-S or allied help for the president's foes. // GELBARD ACT //// END ACT //NNNN Source: Voice of America [10] U-S YUGOSLAVIA (L) BY DAVID SWAN (CAPITOL HILL)DATE=7/29/1999TYPE=CORRESPONDENT REPORT NUMBER=2-252312 CONTENT= VOICED AT: INTRO: The Clinton administration has issued a challenge to Yugoslav opposition forces to put their egos and differences aside and focus on toppling President Slobodan Milosevic. V-O-A's David Swan reports from Capitol Hill. TEXT: Balkan special envoy Robert Gelbard says the United States will keep trying to isolate the Yugoslav leader and strengthen those working against him. But in a Senate hearing (Thursday), he stressed there are limits to what Washington can do, that change must come from within. // Gelbard Act //// End Act //// Gelbard Act //// End Act //// Biden Act //// End Act //NEB/DS/TVM/PT 29-Jul-1999 18:00 PM LOC (29-Jul-1999 2200 UTC) NNNN Source: Voice of America [11] TRIBUNAL - CROATIA (L-ONLY) BY LAUREN COMITEAU (THE HAGUE)DATE=7/28/1999TYPE=CORRESPONDENT REPORT NUMBER=2-252272 CONTENT= VOICED AT: INTRO: Tensions between Croatia and the Yugoslav war crimes tribunal continue to mount as prosecutors decided Wednesday to take Croatia to the U-N Security Council for failing to cooperate with their investigations. Lauren Comiteau reports from the Hague. Text: The tribunal's chief prosecutor, Louise Arbour, called it "her tool of last resort." Using her most potent legal weapon, Louise Arbour asked the war crimes tribunal's president to report Croatia to the Security Council for illegally hampering her investigation. Ms. Arbour says for three years she's been trying to get information from Zagreb, most notably for investigations into "Operation Storm." That 1995 Croatian military offensive took back Serb-held land in Croatia and led to the expulsion of at least 200-thousand Serbs. Croatia says it will not hand over any documents relating to "Operation Storm" because it was an internal matter, and the tribunal has no jurisdiction to investigate. It's an argument, says Ms. Arbour, that's been made by others, namely, Serbia. /// ARBOUR ACT ////// END ACT ///NNNN Source: Voice of America [12] YUGOSLAV WAR CRIMES (L ONLY) BY LAUREN COMITEAU (THE HAGUE)DATE=7/29/1999TYPE=CORRESPONDENT REPORT NUMBER=2-252298 INTERNET=YES CONTENT= VOICED AT: INTRO: A prosecutor at the Yugoslav war crimes Tribunal says his office intends to indict Yugoslav President Slobodan Milosevic for war crimes committed during the Bosnian conflict. President Milosevic -- along with four of his top officials--has already been indicted for war crimes in Kosovo. Lauren Comiteau in The Hague reports on the clearest sign yet that war crimes prosecutors are building another case against the Yugoslav leader for the Bosnian war. TEXT: When prosecutors indicted Yugoslav President Slobodan Milosevic in May for war crimes in Kosovo, they made it clear they would expand the charges against him when they had more evidence. There's been much speculation if any new charges would include war crimes committed in Bosnia--a speculation that deputy prosecutor Graham Blewitt put to rest today in an interview with myself and Chicago Tribune senior writer Charles Madigan. /// MADIGAN / BLEWITT ACT ////// END ACT ///NNNN Source: Voice of America [13] N-Y ECON WRAP (S & L) BY BRECK ARDERY (NEW YORK)DATE=7/29/1999TYPE=CORRESPONDENT REPORT NUMBER=2-252310 CONTENT= VOICED AT: INTRO: Stock prices in the United States were down sharply today (Thursday) as Wall Street worried about inflation and higher interest rates. VOA Business Correspondent Breck Ardery reports from New York. TEXT: The Dow Jones Industrial Average closed at 10- thousand-791, down 180 points, or almost two percent. The Standard and Poor's 500 index closed at 13- hundred-41, down 24 points. The NASDAQ index lost more than two percent. The selling was triggered by the government's Employment Cost Index - or E-C-I. It shows that U-S labor costs rose in the second quarter at their fastest rate in eight years. Analysts say that could cause inflationary pressures as companies raise prices to compensate for higher labor costs. U-S central bank Chairman Alan Greenspan has repeatedly said the central bank will move quickly to raise short-term interest rates to dampen inflationary pressures. Governors of the central bank are next scheduled to consider the interest rate question on August 24th. The bond market fell along with stocks causing long-term interest rates to rise. /// REST OPT ////// WACHTEL ACT ////// END ACT ///NNNN Source: Voice of America [14] KOSOVO PEACE FORCE BY ANDREW GUTHRIE (WASHINGTON)DATE=7/29/1999TYPE=WORLD OPINION ROUNDUP NUMBER=6-11404 EDITOR=ASSIGNMENTS TELEPHONE=619-3335 CONTENT= INTRO: The murder of 14 Serbian farmers near the tiny village of Gracko, while harvesting their crop, has again turned the world's press attention to the topic of whether K-FOR can really keep the peace in Yugoslavia's war-torn Kosovo province. We get a sampling of global press viewpoints on that now from _________in this World Opinion Roundup. TEXT: It is not yet known who killed the Serb farmers, who ranged in age from teenagers to old men, but suspicion has focused on possible renegades from the Kosovo Liberation Army or K-L-A. This is the worst violence since the end of the NATO bombing of Kosovo province several months ago, but it is by no means the first of what NATO forces fear are reprisal attacks by angry Kosovar Albanians for the deaths of thousands of their countrymen during the Serbian military campaign. Nevertheless, this massacre at Gracko has focused the world's attention on the question of whether NATO troops, not specifically trained as police, and not yet at full strength, can maintain the peace in an area where two populations have as much mutual hatred as the Serbs and ethnic-Albanians. We begin our sampling in Zagreb, Croatia, where Vjesnik ran this analysis: VOICE: K-FOR'S imperial mandate, led by the United States, could easily turn into a complete failure if similar executions continue ... If the division according to ethnic criteria soon becomes standard practice, K-FOR will not succeed in its fundamental intention: to preserve Kosovo as an undivided administrative entity. TEXT: Turning now to the neighboring nation of Slovenia, we see in Dnevnik, from Ljubljana,this: VOICE: If NATO thinks that its tactical [and] strategic goals have been achieved ... its analyses are as incomplete as the Pentagon's maps of Belgrade. The mathematical result of the critical mass necessary for [Yugoslavian President Slobodan] Milosevic's deposition does not work in the case of Serbia... TEXT: In Western Europe, Britain's Independent, in London, suggests hopefully that critics should look at the big picture as well as at the massacre: VOICE: If we take stock of the Kosovo conflict ... we must conclude that it has turned out far better than anyone could have hoped. What is more extraordinary is that by the end of last week, the UNHCR reported that 720-thousand refugees had returned to Kosovo, which must be nearly all of them. . It was never going to be easy for outsiders to run a province so riven by historic hatreds, and it was never going to be easy to organize the return of the best part of a million people. But so far the achievement on both fronts has been heroic, and we should pay tribute to all concerned. TEXT: Across the channel, in Paris, the French Roman Catholic paper La Croix however is very upset at the killings. VOICE: General Mike Jackson, did not exclude . the fact that the killing of 14 Serb peasants might be part of an evil plan to oust the Serbs from Kosovo. An Albanian-like ethnic cleansing which, if it were ...confirmed, would be as unacceptable as that done [editors: implied "earlier"] by Belgrade . No matter what, Kosovo seems to be about to become mono-ethnic. TEXT: In the South of Germany, Munich's Sueddeutsche Zeitung despairs of the new killings, as well as the older ones: VOICE: A war was waged for a just cause ... At issue were morality, humanity, and a fairer, better world . but now the war is over ... and what is happening in Kosovo? While dead Albanians are recovered from mass graves, Serbs are being buried as the latest victims of a new massacre ... The West obviously forgot to include the protection of the Serbs in the catalogue of tasks for the international protection force. ... When trying to find out what went wrong, we see the cardinal mistake of the West ... cooperation with the K-L-A which bordered on camaraderie . TEXT: An expansion of that German theme from Prague was in the Czech Republic's Pravo, which opined: VOICE: The massacre in Gracko is fatally frustrating for the international community ... A double standard approach taken by the West to the two communities in Kosovo ... and, especially, the incomprehensible reluctance as regards disarmament of the K-L-A will lead toward another ethnic cleansing, this time in different colors . TEXT: To the East, in Turkey, where like the Albanians, the Turks are non Arabic islamic people, the Star writes: VOICE: After the massacre of 14 Serbian farmers in a Kosovo town ... Albanians have emerged as the potential suspects. This type of incident is not doing any good to the honor of the Albanians. The KLA should cooperate with NATO to find the murderers. Otherwise, like the Serbs, the Albanians will be categorized as murderers. TEXT: In Asia, Beijing's Youth Daily writes from the Chinese capital: VOICE: The international peacekeeping troops have failed to bring genuine peace to Kosovo and, instead caused a new exodus of refugees. As long as the West ... favors the KLA, ethnic reconciliation in Kosovo will remain hopeless. TEXT: And in Ho Chi Minh City's Young Communist Federation daily Tyuoi Tre, from Vietnam, we read: VOICE: The bodies of 13 Serbs were found in a circle near a harvester on a dirt track, not far from the Gracko village and the K-L-A headquarters. This massacre was caused by ... the inconsistency of K-FOR behavior in Kosovo. ...Serbs are living with no protection despite the presence of thousands of international troops ... At present, they are powerless to halt a continuous wave of violence. The aim for a Kosovo of peace, stability, and multi- ethnicity seems to be more futile than ever. TEXT: With those comments from a nation that has
known a devastating war itself, at the end of this
century, we conclude this World Opinion roundup on the
reaction to the massacre of Serb farmers near Gracko,
Kosovo.
NEB/ang/gm
NEB/WTW/
29-Jul-1999 17:02 PM LOC (29-Jul-1999 2102 UTC)
[15] THURSDAY'S EDITORIALS BY ANDREW GUTHRIE (WASHINGTON)DATE=7/29/1999TYPE=U-S EDITORIAL DIGEST NUMBER=6-11401 EDITOR=ASSIGNMENTS TELEPHONE=619-3335 CONTENT= INTRO: Wesley Clark, the general who led NATO forces against the Yugoslav military of Slobodan Milosevic, is being removed from his NATO Commander's post early, and that is causing a furor in the nation's press. There are other editorials about the post-war situation in Kosovo; while others deal with China trade, // OPT //and a new trade pact with Vietnam. // END OPT // The Space Shuttle is safely home, but NASA budget cuts are drawing comments, as is the on-going failure of this country to pay its U-N debt. And lastly, more tributes to Morocco's King Hassan and the U-S cancer survivor who won the Tour de France. Now, here is ___________ with a closer look and some excerpts in today's Editorial Digest. TEXT: The New York Post is furious about General Clark's early reassignment, noting: VOICE: Why is [General] Clark getting an early ax? If you believe the spin [explanatory comments] coming from the Pentagon and the White House, the move was instigated out of a desire to keep Air Force General Joseph ... Ralston, the current vice chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, in uniform by making him [General] Clark's successor. They're lying, of course. [General] Clark committed the crime of honesty, and honesty just can't be tolerated in Clinton- land. ... [General] Clark won a war with his hands practically tied behind his back. He took the heat [criticism] for the Clinton administration's dithering while arguing all the while for the right thing -- a coordinated land and air attack. For unwillingness to ... just go along with the Clinton non-strategy, he is no longer welcome in this administration. TEXT: The Washington Post is also upset. VOICE: // OPT // ... General Clark wanted to use his authority to actually accomplish something. He understood early on, when most of his superiors were desperate to avoid any involvement in Kosovo, that empty threats would not impress Slobodan Milosevic but would destroy NATO as an effective alliance. ... The Pentagon defends its decision in his case as a normal rotation. But // END OPT // the abrupt announcement of his early removal can only undermine the administration's ostensible commitment to bring peace to the Balkans. TEXT: As regards the post-war situation in Kosovo, The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette is shocked at the recent killing of 14 Serb farmers. VOICE: .. NATO and other peacekeepers, United Nations officials and war-crimes investigators can and must take steps to minimize such violence. That includes holding the Kosovo Liberation Army accountable if its forces were involved, even if they acted without authorization. ... Continued anti-Serbian atrocities would undercut that position [that Serbian sovereignty is still in place] and perhaps embolden Yugoslav President Slobodan Milosevic to try to send his forces back. /// OPT ///TEXT: The Tulsa [Oklahoma] World agrees that settling scores must stop if peace is to be attained. VOICE: Revenge is a powerful motivator. But if peace in Kosovo has any chance at all, the Kosovars must set aside their hatred. Taking the law into their own hands is not the answer. /// END OPT ///TEXT: Turning to the Orient, a House [of Representatives] vote to grant China continued normal trade relations draws a comment from The San Francisco Chronicle, which begins with this quote. VOICE: "We have been called off the path of freedom by the siren song of the cash register," declared Represent David Wu, Democrat of Oregon, the first Chinese-American to serve in the house. ... [Mr.] Wu was correct ... but there is also the hard reality that China is an emerging economic and military superpower the West can only ignore at its own peril. TEXT: On New York's Long Island, Newsday says passing the trade accord over Republican objections was good. VOICE: Orderly trade relations will help, not hinder, negotiations on the thorny issues that divide the two nations, such as arms control, human rights and Taiwan. TEXT: The Washington Times is not happy with the vote, noting current problems with Beijing. VOICE: Relations between China and the United States have been particularly rocky this year, and yet we seem capable of forgiving and forgetting almost anything. There have been the revelations of Chinese espionage in the U-S nuclear labs. ... Tentative steps towards political liberalization were reversed prior to the 10th anniversary of the Tiananmen Square massacre, and efforts to register independent political parties were rewarded with lengthy prison sentences and exile. "Engagement" as a policy is predicated on reciprocity. If the White house can not deal with that concept, Congress ought to explain it to Beijing. /// OPT ///TEXT: On another Asian trade matter, there is more praise for a newly agreed-upon trade pact between the United States and Vietnam. The Pittsburgh Post- Gazette suggests that it... VOICE: ... promises to help close the rift in a practical way. The trade pact, which took three years to negotiate, was hailed by President Clinton as a "major step forward for both countries." ... Geopolitically, a friendly relationship with Vietnam would be a handy counter-weight to China, which Vietnam has historically viewed with fear and suspicion. /// END OPT ///TEXT: Here at home, the latest Shuttle mission, piloted by the first woman Shuttle commander, Air Force Colonel Eileen Collins, has ended safely despite problems on lift off, including a leak of the spacecraft's hydrogen fuel. That draws this comment from The Kansas City Star: VOICE: After the Shuttle safely returned ... Bill Gerstenmaier, Shuttle manager, conceded the leak and a[n electrical] short-circuit five seconds into the flight were "significant failures." ... There was also a liquid-oxygen fuel shortage that was potentially life- threatening. ... NASA has given the impression ... it took no chances with this mission. But the cavalier dismissal of the problems, which could have led to an emergency landing or worse, is troublesome. TEXT: Today's Los Angeles Times, meanwhile, is fuming about a Congressional cut in NASA's budget. VOICE: America's record budget surplus has left the nation more able than ever to reach for the stars, but to the astonishment of scientists, a House appropriations subcommittee on Monday approved a spending bill that ... takes a one- point-four-billion-dollar bite [reduction] out of NASA's budget. That's 11 percent. ... Members of the full House Appropriations Committee should restore NASA's funding... TEXT: And in another comment about budgetary matters, The Houston Chronicle is still chafing about this country's over-due U-N debt. VOICE: That our country owes more than one- billion dollars to the United Nations and refuses to pay it is shameful and unworthy of this great nation. ... This country's leadership in the United Nations and its influence over key U-N policies and programs are jeopardized by the fact that we won't pay what we legally owe. ///OPT ///TEXT: In another Asian development, The Honolulu Star-Bulletin is upset about delays in compensation for human-rights abuses in the Philippines. TEXT: A Philippine court has blocked the transfer of funds to thousands of victims of human-rights abuses during the Ferdinand Marcos dictatorship. The intent was to protect further efforts to recover millions of dollars stolen by the Marcoses, but the result will be to postpone indefinitely the victims' compensation. ///END OPT ///TEXT: More tributes to Morocco's King Hassan the Second, this time from The Providence [Rhode Island] Journal: VOICE: The funeral ... of Morocco's king, Hassan the Second, was an appropriate venue for talks between Israel's prime minister and Arab leaders attending the rites in Rabat. [King] Hassan was a consistent and energetic supporter of efforts to produce peace in the Middle East. ... [His] son and successor, King Mohammed the Sixth, inherits a throne that is respected, but an economy that is far too weak to fill the needs of his countrymen, the majority of whom are under 25 [years of age.] ... So America should give moral support to democratization, and economic aid to help stabilize the nation. TEXT: And lastly, more plaudits for the American cancer survivor, Lance Armstrong, who won the grueling Tour de France last weekend, from today's Omaha [Nebraska] World-Herald. VOICE: Who could fail to be inspired by the story of a 24-year-old who is diagnosed with testicular cancer that has spread to his abdomen, lungs and brain ... and who three years later wins the Tour de France? ... By most medical standards, [Mr.] Armstrong in 1996 was a walking dead man who could logically be expected to tidy up his worldly affairs and await the inevitable. But after two bouts of aggressive surgery and three months of chemotherapy, he got back on his beloved bicycle and began to train again as never before. ... What he has achieved athletically, he did on the strength of something very special in his inner being. TEXT: On that note, we conclude this sampling of
comment from Thursday's U-S press.
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