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Voice of America, 00-06-09Voice of America: Selected Articles Directory - Previous Article - Next ArticleFrom: The Voice of America <gopher://gopher.voa.gov>CONTENTS
[01] GREECE BRITAIN ATTACK (L) BY LAURIE KASSMAN (LONDON)DATE=6/9/2000TYPE=CORRESPONDENT REPORT NUMBER=2-263316 CONTENT= VOICED AT: INTRO: The Greek terrorist group, known as November 17, has claimed responsibility for the assassination Thursday of Britain's military attache in Athens. Correspondent Laurie Kassman reports from London that Stephen Saunders' widow is appealing for help to find the killers. TEXT: The 13-page letter sent to a leftist newspaper in Athens says November 17 killed Stephen Saunders because he had helped plan NATO's bombing raids against Serb forces in Kosovo. The document compares NATO's 1999 campaign to Adolf Hitler's annexation of Czechoslovakia during World War Two. The group also claimed responsibility for a series of terrorist attacks last year that Greek police had already suspected were the work of November 17. Britain has stepped up security at its diplomatic mission in Athens and has offered cooperation in finding the killers. On Thursday roadblocks were set up in and around Athens. The search continues for the two killers who ambushed Mr. Saunders as he drove to work early Thursday morning. In Athens, Mr. Saunders' widow (Helen) appealed for help in finding the men who gunned down her husband. ///SAUNDERS ACT//////END ACT ///NEB/LMK/GE/PLM 09-Jun-2000 06:25 AM EDT (09-Jun-2000 1025 UTC) NNNN Source: Voice of America [02] U-N-H-C-R / KOSOVO (L-ONLY) BY GORDON MARTIN (GENEVA)DATE=6/9/2000TYPE=CORRESPONDENT REPORT NUMBER=2-263326 CONTENT= VOICED AT: INTRO: A year after NATO peacekeepers took charge of Kosovo, a new report says the hope of creating peaceful coexistence for the ethnic communities has been frustrated and violence continues. Gordon Martin has this report from Geneva. TEXT: A report prepared jointly by the United Nations refugee agency (U-N-H-C-R) and the O-S-C-E, the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe, demonstrates in detail the scale and ethnically motivated nature of the violence that continues in Kosovo. The report says that from February to May this year, it was mostly Serbs who have been the victims of violent attacks. Many ethnic Albanians in Kosovo suffered terribly and lost virtually everything in past years, says Ron Redmond, spokesman of the U-N refugee agency. Mr. Redmond says that in the past year since the NATO bombing campaign ended, a lot has been accomplished in Kosovo. /// REDMOND ACT ////// END ACT ///// OPT ////// OPT ///NEB/GM/GE/KL 09-Jun-2000 12:38 PM EDT (09-Jun-2000 1638 UTC) NNNN Source: Voice of America [03] KOSOVO / U-N (L-ONLY) BY LARRY FREUND (NEW YORK)DATE=6/9/2000TYPE=CORRESPONDENT REPORT NUMBER=2-263328 CONTENT= VOICED AT: INTRO: The head of the United Nations Mission in Kosovo, Bernard Kouchner, says the security situation there is very precarious for non-Albanians, although he adds crime in Kosovo has dropped spectacularly. He made his comments to the U-N Security Council today (Friday), a day ahead of the first anniversary of its authorization of an international peace force for Kosovo. Correspondent Larry Freund reports. TEXT: Mr. Kouchner's comments echo those of U-N Secretary-General Kofi Annan who reports an upsurge in attacks on Kosovo Serbs, and that understanding and tolerance in Kosovo remain scarce. Mr. Kouchner - speaking through an interpreter - describes the situation in Kosovo as precarious for non-Albanians. /// KOUCHNER INTERPRETOR ACT////// END ACT ////// REST OPT ////// KOUCHNER INTERPRETOR ACT ////// END ACT///NEB/NY/LSF/PW 09-Jun-2000 14:14 PM EDT (09-Jun-2000 1814 UTC) NNNN Source: Voice of America [04] KOSOVO / MITROVICA BY EVE CONANT (MITROVICA)DATE=6/9/2000TYPE=NEWS FEATURE NUMBER=5-46475 INTERNET=YES CONTENT= VOICED AT: INTRO: It has been almost one year since K-FOR (Kosovo Stabilization Force) peacekeepers entered Kosovo, but there is little peace in the divided city of Mitrovica, where a bridge, barbed wire and French soldiers are the only buffer between the city's Serb and Ethnic Albanian communities. Correspondent Eve Conant reports the Serbs of Mitrovica have started to blockade all roads into their sector to draw attention to the dangers they face. TEXT: Kosovo's northern city of Mitrovica is one
on the best examples of how the hatred and
mistrust between ethnic Albanians and Serbs has
hardly dissipated in the year since K-FOR troops
rolled in to keep the peace.
On one side of the Ibar River that divides the
town is the thriving Albanian community; on the
other side of the river, across a bridge and
several K-FOR checkpoints, is the Serb sector.
Today there is a protest, a peaceful one, says
the Serbs' leader, 47-year-old Oliver Ivanovich.
Their protest is a blockade of all traffic in and
out of their part of Mitrovica for two hours each
evening.
As he walks the deserted streets with his
cellphone, Mr. Ivanovich has been organized to
draw the world's attention to the danger the
Serbs face even in their carefully guarded
fortress city. Some roads leading into the Serb
sector of Mitroivica are blocked by parked cars
and trucks. The Serbs are also using dumpsters,
truck tires, old rusty stoves and, most effective
of all, themselves.
A crowd of Serbs, dozens of young me but also old
men on bicycles and teenage girls wearing spandex
and red berets, mill about in the middle of the
road, blocking a convoy of French K-FOR troops.
The French commander jumps from his tank and
demands to know what is going on. A Serb man
tries in broken English to explain the tanks will
have to wait a few more minutes, until eight
o'clock, when the blockade will be ended for the
night.
This blockade is only planned for a few hours
each night and only for a few days. The Serbs
say they are desperate to bring attention to
their dismal situation.
"What kind of life is this?" asks one man as he
leans against an old stove in the middle of the
dusty road. He says, "We have no phones, no
electricity, no water. Most of all, we have no
freedom to move. We are trapped in a tiny
circle."
International officials are increasingly
condemning the violence against the Serb minority
in Kosovo, but the Serbs of Mitrovica say they
will defend themselves if they have to because
they don't trust K-FOR peacekeepers to do it for
them. Nor do they expect to have any political
voice, as Kosovo's government is gradually being
formed.
Mitrovica's Serb leader, Oliver Ivanovich, says
he has told his people to boycott elections in
Kosovo, planned for October.
For the Serbs, one year later Kosovo is still a
war zone. U-N officials say that during the
first six days of June, eight Serbs were
murdered, including a four-year old boy killed by
machinegun fire.
But on this day the Serb children of Mitrovica
feel safe, as they play ball on an empty downtown
street. The children are safe because just over
their shoulders are dozens of Serb men guarding
the bridge to the Albanian section of town.
Beyond the Serb bridge watchers are French K-FOR
peacekeepers, barbed wire and tanks. Beyond that
is the rest of Kosovo, where the Serbs say they
know they are not welcome. (Signed)
[05] NATO / DEFENSE MINISTERS (L-ONLY) BY LAURIE KASSMAN (LONDON)DATE=6/9/2000TYPE=CORRESPONDENT REPORT NUMBER=2-263319 CONTENT= VOICED AT: INTRO: NATO Defense Ministers met with their Russian counterpart in Brussels Friday to get more details on Moscow's proposal for a joint European anti-missile defense system. Correspondent Laurie Kassman has the story. TEXT: Russia's defense minister, Igor Sergeyev,
provided information about the Russian proposal, but
the 19 NATO ministers say they need to read it more
carefully.
Mr. Sergeyev did not offer any details to the media in
Brussels but assured them the plan does not violate
the Anti-Ballistic Missile Treaty.
U-S defense officials say the Russian plan for a joint
European anti-missile system must not replace in any
way the U-S project of a missile defense shield. One
official suggested it could supplement -- but not
substitute for -- the U-S system.
Washington says the system would protect against
attacks from rogue states like North Korea or Iraq.
Moscow has opposed the U-S plan as a threat to
European security that could spark a global arms race.
NATO defense ministers also discussed future weapons
procurement plans that envision multilateral
purchases. The United States, Belgium, Denmark,
Norway, Portugal and the Netherlands have announced
they will look at joint purchases of precision air-to-
ground equipment to save on the high costs.
U-S Defense Secretary William Cohen sees the joint
purchases as another way to strengthen the European
pillar of the trans-Atlantic alliance by pooling
resources to maximize purchasing power.
[06] NATO DEFENSE MINISTERS (L-UPDATE) BY LAURIE KASSMAN (LONDON)DATE=6/9/2000TYPE=CORRESPONDENT REPORT NUMBER=2-263325 CONTENT= VOICED AT: INTRO: NATO defense ministers met with their Russian colleagues in Brussels Friday to get more details about Moscow's proposal for a joint European anti- missile defense system. V-O-A correspondent Laurie Kassman reports that U-S officials warned against competing with the proposed U-S missile defense project. TEXT: Russian Defense Minister Igor Sergeyev provided
more information about the Russian proposal, but the
19 NATO ministers say they need to read it more
carefully.
U-S Defense Secretary William Cohen suggests the
Russian proposal is not feasible. He says it would
not provide enough protection for Europe or the United
States. Mr. Cohen says the Russian project appears to
be based on intermediate or short-range missile
capabilities -- not enough to cover much of Europe.
Mr. Sergeyev did not offer any details of the
project to the media in Brussels, but assured them the
plan does not violate the Anti-Ballistic Missile
Treaty.
U-S defense officials say any proposed joint European
anti-missile system could only supplement, but not
substitute for the U-S system, which is scheduled to
undergo another test in July.
The United States says the system would protect
against attacks from rogue states like North Korea or
Iraq. Russia has opposed the U-S plan as a threat to
European security that could spark a global arms race.
NATO defense ministers also discussed future weapons
procurement plans that envision multilateral
purchases. The United States, Belgium, Denmark,
Norway, Portugal, and the Netherlands have announced
they will look at joint purchases of precision air-to-
ground equipment to save on the high costs.
U-S Defense Secretary Cohen sees the move as another
way to strengthen the so-called "European pillar" of
the trans-Atlantic alliance by pooling resources to
maximize purchasing power. (Signed)
[07] NY ECON WRAP (S&L) BY ELAINE JOHANSON (NEW YORK)DATE=6/9/2000TYPE=CORRESPONDENT REPORT NUMBER=2-263334 CONTENT= VOICED AT: INTRO: U-S stock prices were mixed today (Friday), with "blue-chips" sliding despite some positive economic news. V-O-A correspondent Elaine Johanson reports from New York: TEXT: The Dow Jones Industrial Average fell 54 points, one-half of one percent, to 10-thousand-614. The Industrials are down about 177 points, or less than two percent for the week. The Standard and Poor's 500 index closed four points lower. But the Nasdaq composite held on for a gain of more than one percent. The technology-weighted index is up almost two percent for the week. A benign inflation report showing prices at the producer, or wholesale, level unchanged in May gave the "blue-chips" a big bounce in early trading. But a triple-digit gain evaporated fast, as uncertainty returned about the impact of a slowing economy. /// BEGIN OPT ////// PISKOROWSKI ACT ////// END ACT ////// END OPT ////// REST OPT ///NNNN Source: Voice of America [08] FRIDAY'S EDITORIALS BY ERIKA EVANS (WASHINGTON)DATE=6/9/2000TYPE=U-S EDITORIAL DIGEST NUMBER=6-11863 EDITOR=ASSIGNMENTS TELEPHONE=619-2702 CONTENT= VOICED AT: INTRO: A U-S federal judge has ordered Microsoft to be split in two and for the third day in a row, U-S editorial columns are overflowing with comments on the historic antitrust case and Wednesday's ruling. Other topics being discussed include the bloody crisis in Sierra Leone, political infighting in Israel and its effect on Mideast peace talks, and the debate over U-S policy toward Cuba. Now here is _________________ with a closer look and some excerpts in today's Editorial Digest. TEXT: In a decision with potentially far-reaching consequences, a U-S federal judge has ordered Microsoft broken in two for violating antitrust law and dominating competition in the computer software industry. The Charlotte Observer in North Carolina asks the question, "Just who will benefit if the Justice Department succeeds in breaking apart Microsoft?" VOICE: Surely, Microsoft's competitors will enjoy seeing the company hamstrung by strict government regulations over its business activities. But antitrust law was never meant to tilt the playing field toward competitors who have lost out in the marketplace; it is supposed to protect consumers from high prices and slow innovation. By this standard the Justice Department fails miserably. (OPT) Consumers seem to be the last people on the government's mind. .The Justice department seems to be locked in a Depression-era understanding of markets - one that assumes technologies go unchanged for decades, and that capital is unavailable to those who would challenge established business. But this is not the 1920s and Microsoft is not Standard Oil. (END OPT) TEXT: The Charlotte Observer goes on to say if Microsoft breaks up, the price of the "windows" computer operating system could triple. VOICE: Not only do the facts establish the proposed breakup will not produce the benefits the government claims, but basic economics suggest that splitting Microsoft would mean higher prices for Windows. (opt) .Perhaps dismantling the Evil Empire would unleash innovation that compensates consumers for higher software prices. Believing that requires a leap of faith. .The court's rush to judgement makes it even more likely that Microsoft will prevail in the appellate courts. Yet even if Microsoft emerges unscathed, it will be hard to put the regulatory genie back in the bottle. From now on, companies inclined to risk all to scale the heights of the New Economy must know that if they compete hard, they may find themselves marching to a judge's orders.(END OPT) TEXT: The Baltimore Sun in Maryland says that the breakup may be premature. VOICE: The sky will not fall if Microsoft Corporation, the most successful company of the computer age, is forced to split in two.. It may be years before a final, definitive verdict is implemented. By that time, the rapid pace of technological innovation could turn this anti- trust battle into a dispute over a largely obsolete computer operating system. .Increased competition - the ultimate goal - would benefit consumers and lead to more innovative products. But the market place, far more than the courts, could have the most to say about the pace and direction of the computer revolution. TEXT: In other news, the Hartford Courant in Connecticut is commenting on the situation in Sierra Leone. The paper says there is a lesson to be learned in the story of this West African nation. VOICE: Peace must first be secured before it can be kept. In Sierra Leone, this was hardly the case. The so-called 1999 Lome Peace accord, worked out by African leaders with the blessing of the international community, was full of holes. It unduly rewarded the rebels and their leader, Foday Sankoh, with immunity against their countless hideous crimes. Mr. Sankoh, mastermind of this reign of terror, was even given a cabinet post. Far from encouraging the rebels to embrace peace, these concessions emboldened them to continue their terrible ways. Mr. Sankoh is now in detention. This is a time to deal decisively with the marauders. .An impoverished country under the best of circumstances, Sierra Leone has been devastated by eight years of civil war. Its citizens deserve an end to the misery. TEXT: The Los Angeles Times turns its attention to the internal conflict in Israel, where the threat of a bill calling for early elections could hold back peace talks with Palestinians. VOICE: This week (Israeli leader Ehud) Barak was humiliated when three of his Knesset coalition partners voted to give preliminary approval to a bill calling for early elections - in effect a vote to topple the government. With crucial Israeli-Palestinian peace talks scheduled to resume near Washington next week, this threat to (Mr.) Barak's authority could not have come at a worse time. .It's a mess, teetering on the edge of crisis. Everyone recognizes that a weakened government facing early elections would be in no position to move forward with peace talks. (OPT) .He (Ehud Barak) may be forced to pay a steep price to keep his parliamentary majority more or less intact. But the cost of the alternative - effectively freezing the peace talks while Israel plods its way through yet another political stalemate - would be heavier still. (OPT) TEXT: And lastly, U-S policy toward Cuba sparks discussion in The Washington Post. The paper argues that the U-S should remove the ban on exports of food and medicine. It notes some advocates of removing sanctions on Cuba point to U-S trade with communist China. The Post offers another argument. VOICE: The better reason to support sales of food and medicine has to do with U-S ability to mobilize diplomatic support and international opinion to the continued denial of basic freedoms in Cuba. A policy of total embargo isolates the United States, making it more difficult to enlist Canada, Latin America and Europe in such a campaign.. Removing the ban on food and medicine would change that political equation without giving up all U-S leverage. .Lifting the ban makes sense. TEXT: On that note, we conclude this sampling of
editorial comment from Friday's American press.
TEXT:
NEB//
09-Jun-2000 13:00 PM EDT (09-Jun-2000 1700 UTC)
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