Voice of America, 99-08-20

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From: The Voice of America <gopher://gopher.voa.gov>

CONTENTS

[01] KOSOVO - INTEGRATION (L ONLY) BY TIM BELAY (PRISTINA)

[02] BELGRADE RALLY ASSESSED BY PAMELA TAYLOR (WASHINGTON)

[03] SERBS PROTEST AGAINST MILOSEVIC

[04] BOSNIA CORRUPTION BY BARRY WOOD (WASHINGTON)

[05] TURKEY QUAKE ONITER (S/L) BY LAURIE KASSMAN (ISTANBUL)

[06] TURKEY - RESCUE EFFORT (L-ONLY) BY LAURIE KASSMAN (IZMIT, TURKEY)

[07] TURKEY/EARTHQUAKE LONG BY LAURIE KASSMAN (IZMIT)

[08] TURKEY / RELIEF / Q&A BY STEVE CATLIN / U-S AID DISASTER RELIEF TEAM (IZMIT)

[09] U-N - TURKEY AID (L-ONLY) BY LISA SCHLEIN (GENEVA)

[10] TURKISH QUAKE EXPLAINED BY DAVID MCALARY (WASHINGTON)

[11] RUSSIA - DAGESTAN (L) BY PETER HEINLEIN (MOSCOW)

[12] RUSSIA / U-S (L ONLY) BY PETER HEINLEIN (MOSCOW)

[13] N-Y ECON WRAP (S & L) BY BRECK ARDERY (NEW YORK)

[14] FRIDAY'S EDITORIALS BY ANDREW GUTHRIE (WASHINGTON)

[01] KOSOVO - INTEGRATION (L ONLY) BY TIM BELAY (PRISTINA)

INTRO: The United Nations says relations are improving between Serbs and Albanians in the troubled northern Kosovo city of Mitrovica. As Tim Belay reports from Pristina, U-N officials say the reduced tension makes it possible for some Albanians to move back to their homes in what had become the Serbian side of the city.

TEXT: Mitrovica has been ethnically divided by a bridge and racked by tension and ethnic clashes since the withdrawal of Yugoslavia's armed forces. But now, the United Nations says seven ethnic Albanian families will move back (Friday) to their former homes on the northern side of the city. It is a kind of experiment by international organizations which are desperate to create a climate of peace between Serbs and Albanians in Kosovo. NATO-led peacekeeping troops will provide transport and security for the returning Albanians. If all goes well, more Albanian families will return to their homes in the northern part of Mitrovica in the coming days. A spokesman for the NATO-led forces in Kosovo, Rolland Lavoie, says there have been conflicts between Serbian and Albanian residents of Mitrovica every day since the middle of June. And Albanians have moved into apartments formerly occupied by Serbian families, and Serbs have moved into some apartments formerly occupied by Albanians.

[02] BELGRADE RALLY ASSESSED BY PAMELA TAYLOR (WASHINGTON)

[03] SERBS PROTEST AGAINST MILOSEVIC

THIS EDITORIAL IS BEING RELEASED FOR immediate use by all language services. Anncr: The Voice of America presents differing points of view on a wide variety of issues. Next, an editorial expressing the policies of the United States Government: Voice: Defying threats of violence by the authorities, an estimated one hundred thousand Serbs took to the streets of Belgrade August 19 in a peaceful demonstration against the regime of Slobodan Milosevic. Similar rallies have been held in many towns and cities in Serbia since last June, when the war in Kosovo ended. That war was provoked by atrocities against Kosovar Muslims that were planned and executed by the government of the Federation of Yugoslavia, which Mr. Milosevic heads. The conflict isolated Serbia internationally and left it in ruins. Though divided on the political future of their country, the anti-Milosevic protesters have left no doubt as to whom they blame for this catastrophe. In his ten-year rule, Milovevic has instigated and lost several wars. As a result of his policies, Yugoslavia has broken up. Even the government of Montenegro, the republic closest to Serbia culturally, indicated last month that a looser federal arrangement is needed. Milosevic came to power on the basis of demagogic claims that he would protect Serb interests throughout Yugoslavia. Outside the ruling clique, there is probably not a single Serb who does not feel his life has been diminished by Milosevic's reign of terror. Hundreds of thousands of people have died in violence across the former Yugoslavia, especially in Croatia and Bosnia. And several top Yugoslav leaders, including Milosevic himself, have been indicted as war criminals by the International Court at The Hague. In these circumstances, it may seem remarkable that the demonstrations like the recent one in Belgrade have been so peaceful and orderly. But in fact, the people of Serbia understand very well that peace and democracy are what they need. And they know the current regime cannot give them either. Once they are rid of the Milosevic regime, the people of Serbia, in a Yugoslav Federation, will begin the long job of reconstituting their country's political institutions. As their neighbors and the rest of the world know, there is no reason why they cannot rebuild their country on the basis of a democratic government and a free economy, and take their rightful place in the concert of nations. Anncr: That was an editorial expressing the policies of the United States Government. If you have a comment, please write to Editorials, V-O-A, Washington, D-C, 20547, U-S-A. You may also comment at www-dot-voa-dot-gov-slash-editorials, or fax us at (202) 619-1043. 20-Aug-1999 17:32 PM EDT (20-Aug-1999 2132 UTC)
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Source: Voice of America

[04] BOSNIA CORRUPTION BY BARRY WOOD (WASHINGTON)

INTRO: There are fresh reports this week detailing far-reaching official corruption in Bosnia- Herzegovina. V-O-A's Barry Wood reports the international donor community recognizes the extent of the corruption problem in the Balkans but is not of one mind as to what can be done to combat it.

TEXT: The allegations of corruption in Bosnia are not new but, the extent of the problem is far greater than had been thought. The New York Times reports this week that private studies by aid organizations allege that as much as one billion dollars may have vanished from aid accounts and the national treasury over the past few years. John Lampe, a Bosnia specialist and historian at the University of Maryland, says the corruption charges are a warning that local politicians need to clean up their operations or face the wrath of citizens.

[05] TURKEY QUAKE ONITER (S/L) BY LAURIE KASSMAN (ISTANBUL)

INTRO: Tuesday's earthquake in Turkey has claimed more than ten thousand victims and the death toll is rising. Some 35 thousand are still missing and feared dead. Now officials fear the outbreak of disease from contaminated water and poor sanitation. Correspondent Laurie Kassman reports from Istanbul that most survivors in the stricken areas have spent another night outdoors amid fears of another strong tremor.

TEXT: Survivors are trying to organize their lives with what little they have. Much time is spent waiting for handouts of food and water and for any news of friends and relatives who may still be missing. Foreign rescue teams still search for signs of life in the rubble but hopes are fading fast of finding many more survivors. Turkish authorities have been overwhelmed by the crisis and are asking for more outside help. Health officials have raised the alarm over the potential for epidemics of cholera and typhoid from contaminated drinking water. Foreign governments and aid agencies have dispatched supplies and medical teams to help deal with the looming health disaster.

[06] TURKEY - RESCUE EFFORT (L-ONLY) BY LAURIE KASSMAN (IZMIT, TURKEY)

INTRO: Rescue teams are desperately searching for survivors, three days after an earthquake devastated northwestern Turkey. In Izmit, a U-S squad managed to pull four survivors out from smashed building on Thursday. But on Friday, they were not so lucky. Laurie Kassman reports from Izmit.

TEXT: The rescue squad used remote cameras, sniffer dogs and listening devices - even their bare hands - to track-down any signs of life as they searched through the wreckage, building-by-building. At one site on Thursday, the signals were positive and the team set about drilling their way toward a young boy trapped, but still alive. Once they reached him, it was up to Evan Lewis to wiggle a bit closer.

[07] TURKEY/EARTHQUAKE LONG BY LAURIE KASSMAN (IZMIT)

INTRO: The death toll from Tuesday's earthquake in northwestern Turkey is rising by the hour and rescues of survivors from the rubble are few and far between. (update with latest figures of dead and missing) Priority now for those who escaped injury is shelter, food and water and burying the dead. Correspondent Laurie Kassman reports from Izmit.

TEXT:

[08] TURKEY / RELIEF / Q&A BY STEVE CATLIN / U-S AID DISASTER RELIEF TEAM (IZMIT)

INTRO: Friday morning, V-O-A's Kurt Henschen conducted a Q&A with Mr. Catlin on his team's discovery and rescue of four survivors to the Turkish quake..

TEXT: CATLIN: We were able to rescue four people who were trapped in collapsed structures. We send out survey teams to assess collapsed structures. We take a grid- pattern approach to that. We usually use search-and- rescue dogs. The dogs will know if there is someone inside. They then give us an indication. We use that and other means to determine whether there is someone in the building. Based upon that, we bring in additional search and rescue personnel to explore voids within the collapsed structure to determine if there's actually someone inside. HENSCHEN: Of the rescue you made, were these just ordinary citizens, in the wrong place at the wrong time? C: Yeah. They probably were in bed at the time of the earthquake. They were probably asleep. H: The indications are they had been there since Tuesday. What kind of shape were they in? C: The individuals we managed were in fairly good shape. They were a little dehydrated, but they were fortunate enough to be in places that allowed them to survive and protected them from crumbling concrete masonry. H: What happens after you pull them out of the building? Are there facilities to give people care? C: We work in cooperation with the Turkish government and local authorities. These folks were transferred to local hospitals. H: Then there are hospitals capable of caring for those you bring out? C: Yes, (but they are) somewhat stressed by the large number (of patients). H: Compared with similar disasters you have been involved with, where would you rank the Turkish quake? C: Certainly, it's quite a significant event. H: You are working in a major metropolitan area, not really far from the rest of the world. Does that make things easier or more difficult for the rescuers? C: Well, it's certainly easier in that, when we flew in, we were in close proximity to the disaster, itself. So, we were able to get in rather quickly. NEB/ wd / wd 20-Aug-1999 04:33 AM LOC (20-Aug-1999 0833 UTC)
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Source: Voice of America

[09] U-N - TURKEY AID (L-ONLY) BY LISA SCHLEIN (GENEVA)

INTRO: A top United Nations Disaster Relief Official says international efforts to find survivors of Turkey's devastating earthquake will continue until early next week. The official says there is a good chance that many victims of the disaster may still be alive. Details from Lisa Schlein in Geneva.

TEXT: The United Nations reports 65 medical teams have reached the disaster site in Turkey. Two- thousand specialists and 120 search dogs are combing the affected areas for survivors. Sergio Piazzi who heads the U-N's Humanitarian Office in Europe says normally after an earthquake strikes, most people are rescued from collapsed buildings in the first 24 to 48 hours. However, he says the situation in Turkey is more hopeful.

[10] TURKISH QUAKE EXPLAINED BY DAVID MCALARY (WASHINGTON)

INTRO: The earthquake that devastated part of northwestern Turkey was no surprise to geologists. It was the latest in a series of major tremors that have shaken the country in an east-to-west progression for decades. V-O-A science correspondent David McAlary explains.

TEXT: Earthquakes are not unusual. According to U-S Geological Survey data, the one in northwestern Turkey was only one of 35 significant earthquakes that have occurred around the world so far this year alone. But it was by far the worst. The numbers of Turkish dead and injured surpass that of all the others combined. Geologist Muawia Barazangi [MAU-ee-uh Buh-ruh-ZIN-gee, with a soft "g"] of Cornell University in Ithaca, New York, says scientists knew it was coming.

[11] RUSSIA - DAGESTAN (L) BY PETER HEINLEIN (MOSCOW)

INTRO: Russian warplanes have bombed targets inside the breakaway Chechnya region in an attempt to cut off supply lines to Muslim rebels battling government troops in neighboring Dagestan. V-O-A Moscow correspondent Peter Heinlein reports the fighting is being accompanied by an increasingly aggressive propaganda war.

TEXT: On day 14 of the North Caucasus conflict, a Defense Ministry official said Russian jets were pounding two Chechen villages where Islamic insurgents were preparing to cross into the combat zone in the nearby mountains of Dagestan. The official says air strikes in Chechnya are becoming increasingly frequent, but that Russian ground forces have not yet crossed into the breakaway region. Chechnya has been effectively independent of Moscow's rule since Russian troops withdrew in 1996 after losing a 21-month war against Chechen rebels. But Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin said Friday the insurgents in Dagestan must not be allowed to use Chechnya as a safe haven.

[12] RUSSIA / U-S (L ONLY) BY PETER HEINLEIN (MOSCOW)

INTRO: An influential Russian general has accused the United States of dictating terms to Russia on proposed changes in the 1972 Anti-Ballistic Missile treaty. V- O-A's Peter Heinlein in Moscow reports Colonel-General Leonid Ivashov (pronounced Ee-va- SHWAFF) suggested U- S arrogance could doom a new round of strategic arms talks.

TEXT: General Ivashov says a just-completed preliminary round of U-S/Russia talks on a START-Three arms control treaty yielded nothing.

[13] N-Y ECON WRAP (S & L) BY BRECK ARDERY (NEW YORK)

INTRO: Stock prices in the United States were up today (Friday) as traders searched for bargains. V-O-A Business Correspondent Breck Ardery reports from New York.

TEXT: The Dow Jones Industrial Average closed at 11- thousand-100 up 136 points, more than one percent. For the week, the Industrial Average gained 127 points. The Standard and Poor's 500 index closed Friday at 13- hundred-36, up 13 points. The NASDAQ index gained one percent. Analysts say there was some bargain-hunting after recent losses. Traders continued to focus on next Tuesday when the governors of the U-S central bank will decide whether to raise short-term interest rates. The consensus on Wall Street is that the central bank will raise short-term rates by 25 basis points, or one-quarter percent.

[14] FRIDAY'S EDITORIALS BY ANDREW GUTHRIE (WASHINGTON)

INTRO: As the death toll from this week's earthquake in Turkey continues to mount, so do the editorials in the U-S press exhorting the public to help, and expressing sympathy for the victims and survivors. Other topics include the rumors of cocaine use by presidential candidate George W. Bush; the change in premiers in the Kremlin; wasting Bosnian aid money; ending the Starr investigation of President and Mrs. Clinton, and the latest advance from the field of genetic engineering. Now, here with a closer look and some excerpts is ______________ and today's Editorial Digest.

TEXT: In Bergen County, New Jersey, The Record, which serves one of the largest populations of Turkish- Americans in the nation, comments:

VOICE: At this point, almost seven-thousand people are believed to have died in the earthquake ... and thousands more are missing or believed ... trapped inside collapsed buildings. The international rescue effort is moving forward, although rescuers say they are confused because much of the action is uncoordinated. As workers try frantically to save anyone buried under rubble, relief agencies are beginning the enormous effort to help the injured and those who lost family members, homes, and belongings. Untold thousands of people need shelter, food, and medical care.

TEXT: The paper then lists several relief agencies which are taking donations. In Texas, The Dallas Morning News is upset by the geo-political damage it feels the quake has done, in addition to the physical destruction.

VOICE: The devastating earthquake in northwest Turkey strikes a damaging blow to a nation at economic and ideological crossroads. . Tragically, this disaster occurs as the leaders of Turkey's state-controlled economy finally seem willing to offer more than tacit lip service to free-market ideas and Western notions of property rights. . The enormous cost of rebuilding an earthquake-shocked nation adds another foreign investment uncertainty to a grab bag of uncertainties. Though a loyal North Atlantic Treaty Organization partner, Turkey has both a less-than-stellar record on human rights and a strong dissident Kurdish enclave in its southeast. .. Turkey's test will be its lasting commitment to a budding democratic movement and investment-friendly reforms at a time when earthquake damage will shift the focus of the world and the Turkish government to the sad and expensive rebuilding task.

TEXT: An assessment of the lasting effects the quake will have from the The Dallas Morning News.

VOICE: Despite a history of earthquakes in the region and years of warnings by scientists, Turkey was ill- prepared for the monster quake . The nation has been overwhelmed by the devastation and Prime Minister Bulent Ecevit has conceded the government's response has been inadequate. . Rescue teams from the United States, Britain, Japan, Russia, Israel, Germany, Switzerland, Greece, Iran and Bulgaria rushed to help, but their efforts have been frustrated by the Turkish government's failure to organize rescue operations. Turkey's calamity - and our own harmless Bolinas [California] shaker [minor earthquake] on Monday evening-are reminders that we share the dangers of living on unstable ground and that we, too , must be prepared for the "Big One." We have been warned, again.

TEXT: The most popular domestic topic is the response by presidential candidate George W. Bush to questions about his possible use of the illegal drug cocaine during his youth. Today's Philadelphia Inquirer is displeased by the news media's behavior on the question.

VOICE: If George W. Bush did indeed sample cocaine at some point in his life, that by itself would not disqualify him from being president. For that reason, the journalistic horde following his campaign should not extend the recent verbal jousting over that rumor into a campaign trail obsession. . But making that point is not the same as agreeing with Governor Bush that having issued a cagey, clintonesque denial, he can unilaterally declare a zone of privacy where this topic is off limits. . it ill behooves him to wax too indignant about scandal-mongering. It's hypocritical.

TEXT: Today's New York Times sums up its view of Mr. Bush's disclosures and what they say of his character, this way:

VOICE: Mr. Bush cannot have it both ways on his personal life. He voluntarily proclaimed his marital fidelity, which is surely the most private of subjects. That only adds to the impression that he is hiding something about other aspects of his life. The best course for him is to be honest, and to let the country take his measure. In his campaign, the Governor has emphasized the importance of assuming responsibility for one's own actions. He should be thinking now about how to set a good example.

TEXT: Turning to international affairs, The Providence [Rhode Island] Journal laments the revolving door of Russian politics which struck again last week.

VOICE: Boris Yeltsin has been hiring and firing prime ministers with abandon. On Monday, Russia's parliament voted 233 to 84 to confirm his latest choice, Vladimir Putin. The big margin simply indicated that Moscow's political classes didn't want the distraction of a clash over the premiership while they had weightier matters on their minds-namely, December's parliamentary election and next summer's presidential balloting. . perhaps Mr. Putin's biggest problem will be to avoid being overshadowed by Yevgeny Primakov, 69, one of Mr. Yeltsin's numerous ex-prime ministers . Widely considered Russia's most popular politician, Mr. Primakov announced on Tuesday . that he will assume leadership of a newly formed "Fatherland-All Russia" alliance in December's parliamentary election. A good showing then will help his likely candidacy in next year's presidential election. So the maneuvering to shape post-Yeltsin Russia has already begun.

TEXT: The Washington Times joins a growing number of papers complaining bitterly about waste and corruption in the Bosnian peacekeeping effort as exposed in a recent report.

VOICE: Just weeks after the United States approved a total of 500-million dollars in humanitarian aid and another 700-million to boost trade in Kosovo, the New York Times reported . that Bosnian nationalist leaders stole up to one billion dollars from public funds or international aid projects. Whether the money has been stolen from the local Bosnian taxpayers, the United States, or other international donors, the ever-ready American benefactor has sufficient cause to be wary. . As the United States prepares to aid an ethnically divided Kosovo, it should also be wary of "victims" out for their own political gain. Corruption can only spread as far as the ignorance and apathy that hide it.

TEXT: Today's Chicago Tribune remarks on a fateful anniversary, as it demands the surrender of the world's most-wanted terrorist to U-S authorities.

VOICE: A year ago Friday, U-S forces struck at suspected terrorist training camps in Afghanistan. Their principal target: Osama bin Laden, the accused mastermind of attacks on U-S embassies in East Africa. Despite the air strikes, [Mr.] bin laden is apparently still living in Afghanistan under the protection of the Taleban movement, the Islamic extremist group that controls the country. The Taleban, if it ever wishes to change Afghanistan's status as a lawless pariah state, should hand over bin Laden to justice. The time to do so is long past. /// OPT /// ... the notion that a follower of Islam cannot receive justice in an "infidel" court is beneath contempt, and deserves the harshest condemnation from other nations. Afghanistan must know, with dead certainty, that it cannot continue its present course of giving shelter to suspected terrorists under the pretense of defending the faith. /// END OPT ///

TEXT: Here at home, several papers are calling for independent Whitewater Counsel Kenneth Starr to conclude, quickly, his more than five year investigation of President and Mrs. Clinton and complete his final report. A three-judge federal panel has just extended his tenure for several more months, prompting this response from Ohio's Akron Beacon Journal.

VOICE: So two Republican-appointed federal . judges believe that Ken Starr's investigation of President Clinton's personal and professional business has been "unusually productive?" And on what exactly do [they] . base their conclusion? Must be on quantify . Couldn't be on quality. The independent counsel whose performance dealt a death blow to the independent counsel law has one series of courtroom convictions . and a couple of guilty pleas . to show for five years and more than 40-million dollars.

TEXT: However in Baltimore, The Sun wants Mr. Starr to remain in office long enough to supervise writing his final report, and n o t to resign as he has proposed.

VOICE: Kenneth Starr should personally write or supervise the final report that his Office of Independent Counsel is required to produce before it shuts down. For five years, one of its obvious targets has been Hillary Rodham Clinton, against whom it has brought no charges. Whatever it does or says about her -or refrains from doing or saying-will figure in the two-thousand Senate race in New York. . Mr. Starr cannot honorably go this far and then hand it over to a caretaker or successor, whatever his personal or professional desires.

TEXT: Today's Pittsburgh Post-Gazette is raising the issue of genital mutilation, and the case of a young Togolese woman who has finally won the right to stay in this country because she feared such an operation in her homeland.

VOICE: Three years ago the Immigration and naturalization Service granted asylum to a young woman from Togo on the grounds that she was fleeing the persecution known as female genital mutilation. It was a groundbreaking decision. The woman, Fauziya Kasinga, spent a year and a half in U-S detention waiting for the ruling, which came from the U-S Board of Immigration Appeals only after an I-N-S judge had rejected her claim. This week, a woman from Ghana became the second refugee granted asylum on the same grounds. Unfortunately, Adelaide Abankwah, too, was forced to spend two years in detention after her initial petition was denied. . Every woman fleeing this form of persecution should not be subject to a different form of persecution in this country. The precedent for granting asylum has been set (twice now) but immigration judges are not required to follow that logic through.

TEXT: A comment from today's Pittsburgh [Pennsylvania] Post-Gazette.

TEXT: Lastly, some concern, from the San Francisco Chronicle, about the latest news in genetic- engineering.

VOICE: First there was the cloning of Dolly the sheep. That experiment led to all sorts of anxiety among ethicists and legislators who pondered the chilling prospect that the technology might lead to the cloning of humans. Now comes a report out of Atlanta's Emory University about genetic tinkering with mice to alter their social behavior. In the experiment, the researchers took part of a gene called a vasopressin receptor from prairie voles [Editors: a small, mouse-like animal] and inserted it into mice. . the prairie voles are known to be monogamous partners and devoted parents. The mice are, well, known to play around a lot [Editors: slang for promiscuous behavior.] . However, the genetically altered mice seemed to shed their promiscuous ways and spent a whole lot more time grooming, sniffing and cuddling their mates. This research is being hailed as holding great promise in the search for new treatments for certain brain disorders that are characterized by isolation and difficulty in forming personal attachments. .

TEXT: On that scientific note, we conclude this sampling of comment from Friday's U-S press.
NEB/ANG/KL 20-Aug-1999 12:33 PM EDT (20-Aug-1999 1633 UTC)
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Source: Voice of America

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