BPR Mailing List Digest: 05/19/00

Philologos
BPR Mailing List Digest
May 19, 2000

Digest Home | 2000 | May, 2000

To: bpr-list@philologos.org (BPR Mailing List)
Subject: [BPR] - Barak seeks to cancel key U.S. visit
From: bpr-list@philologos.org("Moza")
Date: Fri, 19 May 2000 08:36:46 -0400

Friday, May 19, 2000

Barak seeks to cancel key U.S. visit

Clinton wants Israel-PA pact before Lebanon pullback

By Aluf Benn
Ha'aretz Diplomatic Correspondent

Prime Minister Ehud Barak wants to cancel his planned visit to the United
States next week, because of deteriorating security in Lebanon and the
territories, sources in Barak's office said yesterday.

A U.S. official said before the report of the cancellation yesterday that
Clinton was hoping to seal an Israeli-Palestinian framework peace agreement
before Israel withdraws from Lebanon and would seek "far-reaching"
concessions from Barak on the West Bank.

Barak was slated to leave Sunday night for what was expected to be a
decisive meeting with Clinton on the peace process with the Palestinians.

"There's a real danger that the Lebanon pullout and its reberverations could
have a very negative impact on the Palestinian peace track, if we don't first
reach an accord or at least make significant progress toward it," the U.S.
official said.

Barak was expected to telephone Clinton over the weekend to discuss the
cancellation. The sources said there was a chance Clinton could persuade
Barak to reverse his decision.

The official said Clinton would have asked Barak how much flexibility Israeli
could offer on the final borders of a Palestinian state.

The administration believes Israel's current proposal - relinquishing control
over a total of 80 percent of the West Bank - must be more generous if it is
to win Palestinian agreement.

"A framework agreement will require a far-reaching territorial accord" from
Israel's standpoint, with only minor alterations to the June 4, 1967 lines, to
make it acceptable to PA Chairman Yasser Arafat, the official said.

Washington wants the withdrawal from Lebanon that Barak has promised to
complete by July 7, to be carried out in gradual steps - to allow for the
orderly deployment of UN peacekeepers, and to prevent jolts on the
Palestinian track.

"A hasty pullout could create a vacuum in the field," the American official
said. "But it is possible there will be no recourse but to withdraw early
because of escalation in the fighting with Hezbollah."

Clinton is interested in convening a late-June summit, for Barak and Arafat to
try to finish a framework agreement. The administration believes the
framework accord must be comprehensive, addressing all issues, including
those of Jerusalem and Palestinian refugees, even in the absence of a
solution for the thorniest disputes.

"It's better that it be placed on the table to enable give-and-take," the official
said. "This is good for Israel, and Arafat, also, cannot accept a deal unless it
covers all the issues."

Clinton's national security aide, Sandy Berger, is to arrive in Israel today.
Berger, who is coming to receive an honorary doctorate from Tel Aviv
University, will also meet Barak and senior Israeli and Palestinian officials.

The Americans believe Barak is determined to reach a framework agreement
with the Palestinians, and think him capable of selling the accord to the
Israeli public. His coalition political crisis the Americans see as a problem -
possibly an obstacle - but the administration believes the Israeli public is
now ready for an agreement with the Palestinians, even more so than for any
possible accord with the Syrians.

The official said there was a "troubling link" between Lebanon and the
Palestinians. Without progress on the Palestinian track, problems in
Lebanon could touch off "the kinds of problems we saw this week in the
Palestinian street."

By the same token, rejectionist Palestinian groups could exploit the pullout
in order to attack Israel in Lebanon, with Syrian support.

The official said Israeli-Palestinian talks in Sweden have "begun to move
seriously." He said "the gaps are still quite large, but the process of
narrowing them has begun."

A delegation of American experts met with Israeli and Palestinian officials
yesterday for talks on water and the peace process. "Regarding future peace
treaties, serious water needs will arise, as they will with the existing treaty
with Jordan," an American source said. "Regional solutions will be required,
and we are talking about them with all the sides."

http://www3.haaretz.co.il/eng/scripts/article.asp?mador=14&datee=05/19/00&
id=78633

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To: bpr-list@philologos.org (BPR Mailing List)
Subject: [BPR] - IDF:Escalation in Lebanon may force early withdrawal
From: bpr-list@philologos.org("Moza")
Date: Fri, 19 May 2000 08:38:54 -0400

Friday, May 19, 2000

IDF:Escalation in Lebanon may force early withdrawal

By Amos Harel
Ha'aretz Military Correspondent

The recent escalation of fighting in southern Lebanon has strengthened IDF
assessments that there may be no choice but to bring forward the
withdrawal.

Three soldiers were wounded yesterday, two of them seriously, in heavy
Hezbollah shelling of outposts across the security zone. Shells also fell
inside Israel.See story, Page 2The army is scheduled to complete most of
its preparations for the withdrawal by June 1. It could take place as soon as
a week or two after that. Senior military officials said yesterday this could
become the IDF's recommendation, if the situation in Lebanon continues to
deteriorate. The army's main fear is of losing control of the situation.

Prime Minister Ehud Barak will also have to take the political aspects of the
crisis into consideration. Israeli public opinion is not likely to be very
understanding of casualties suffered in outposts such as Reihan and Ishiya -
very far from the northern border - so close to the pullout date.

Meanwhile Barak is sticking by his position that there is no reason for a
significant change in the timetable. He believes the withdrawal must be
completed in accordance with the United Nations, which is expected to rule
whether Israel has withdrawn in keeping with UN Resolution 425. The UN still
needs time to reorganize UNIFIL for its deployment in the south.

Under instructions from Barak, the army is for the present refraining from
responding harshly to Hezbollah's persistent shelling of IDF outposts along
the border.

Chief of Staff Shaul Mofaz said yesterday Israel must take care not to walk
into a Hezbollah trap and escalate the situation. Hezbollah is testing its
methods of operation for the period after the IDF pulls out.

It is strengthening its artillery forces, and has received long-range rockets
from Iran which could hit Afula and Haifa's Krayot. After the withdrawal, Israel
will consider hitting even Syrian forces in Lebanon, if Syria initiates attacks
against the northern border. The defense establishment has received
information of Syrian plans to form Palestinian groups to carry out attacks for
Syria after the withdrawal

http://www3.haaretz.co.il/eng/scripts/article.asp?mador=14&datee=05/19/00&
id=78632

See http://philologos.org/bpr for additional info.

========
To: bpr-list@philologos.org (BPR Mailing List)
Subject: [BPR] - UN sides with Israel against Beirut to rule disputed area 'Syrian'
From: bpr-list@philologos.org("Moza")
Date: Fri, 19 May 2000 08:41:06 -0400

Friday, May 19, 2000

UN sides with Israel against Beirut to rule disputed area 'Syrian'

By Ze'ev Schiff
Ha'aretz Military Correspondent

The United Nations yesterday dealt a blow to the Lebanese government by
declaring that it had not found any proof to support it claims that the disputed
Havat Shiva'a area does indeed lie in Lebanese territory and not in Syria, as
Israel contends.

The area lies on the western face of Mount Hermon, on the approach to an
Israel Defense Forces outpost on Har Dov. The IDF has outposts situated
over the border at Har Dov, and so far does not plan to evacuate them. This
is both because they are vital for intelligence purposes - almost as much as
the Hermon - and because the area is part of the three-way border with
Syria.

The UN inspectors charged with investigating the Lebanese claim found that
the area which Lebanon claims as its own can be found on the maps of
United Nations Disengagement Observer Force (UNDOF), which patrols the
Golan Heights and oversees the cease-fire agreement between Israel and
Syria, as opposed to those of the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon,
which is the UN's peace keeping force in south Lebanon.

An Israeli delegation is currently meeting with UN officials in New York on
the matter of the international border. Lebanon and the Hezbollah state that
Israel must withdraw from Havat Shiva'a otherwise they will not acknowledge
that Israel has pulled back to the international border. Hezbollah are also
vowing to continue their war against Israel if it does not relinquish the area.

The Lebanese put their case to UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan and his
special envoy Terje Larsen, saying that the land had been given to them as a
gift by the Syrians some years ago. Damascus confirmed this; but when
asked if they had presented any official documents declaring an amendment
to international border between Lebanon and Syria to the UN, the Syrians
stated that they did not possess such documents.

What finally tipped the scales were the maps showing that the area falls
under UNDOF's jurisdiction and not UNIFIL's.

The UN representatives thus concluded they could not support any claim the
Lebanese government and Hezbollah may have over the area.

The question of Havat Shiva'a will now have to be solved when Israel and
Syria enter into discussion over the return of Syrian land as part of a peace
agreement.

http://www3.haaretz.co.il/eng/scripts/article.asp?mador=14&datee=05/19/00&
id=78634

See http://philologos.org/bpr for additional info.

========
To: bpr-list@philologos.org (BPR Mailing List)
Subject: [BPR] - British Heroin May Be Tainted With Anthrax
From: bpr-list@philologos.org("Moza")
Date: Fri, 19 May 2000 08:45:45 -0400

British Heroin May Be Tainted With Anthrax

3:53 p.m. ET (1953 GMT) May 17, 2000
By Adam Pasick FOXNews.com

NEW YORK — Heroin users in Europe have been dying of a mysterious
illness. Anthrax, the notorious biowarfare bacteria, is now a prime
suspect.

Tests at a government biological warfare lab found evidence of anthrax
infection in samples from two dead Scottish heroin users, the British
magazine New Scientist reported Wednesday. At least 10 heroin users have
died under mysterious circumstances in the past week, and nine more are
ill.

"The report is that anthrax toxin was in the blood taken from the
victims," said Phil Hanna, a microbiologist at the University of Michigan
who specializes in anthrax research. "If that's the case, there's very
little doubt that person has had anthrax."

Anthrax is common in animals, but is rarely passed on to humans.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, infection
begins as a raised itchy bump resembling an insect bite. Within two days,
the bumps develop into a painless ulcer with a characteristic black scab
in the center. About one in five untreated cases anthrax contracted
through the skin will result in death.

British health authorities say the addicts injected heroin into their
muscles rather than directly into the vein, after which they developed
painless lesions. Hours later, they died with symptoms that included
soaring white blood cell counts and leakage of fluids around the heart and
lungs.

How did one of the world's most deadly poisons get into heroin? There are
two possibilities, according to Hanna.

Anthrax is sometimes found in countries like Afghanistan, Pakistan and
Iran, where a sizeable percentage of the world's heroin is produced.
"People cut heroin with stuff, and one of the things that may be used is
bone meal," he said. "If people in these poor areas have an animal who
dies of anthrax, they could grind up the bones and mix it in with the
heroin."

The other explanation is more troubling: "There's talk about people who
don't like heroin addicts, and who tainted the drug on purpose," Hanna
said. "It wouldn't be difficult to get anthrax spores — it's possible to
get them from soil around the world. ... But that's groundless at this
point without more information."

Anthrax is not contagious; the friends and neighbors of the heroin addicts
would not have been in danger of contracting the bacteria, nor would
health care workers who treated them.

British health officials are worried that there are far more cases of
anthrax in the heroin population that have gone unreported. Hanna voiced
worries that even if heroin users hear that their drugs may be
contaminated, it will have little effect.

"It's not like people haven't been telling them not to use heroin anyway,"
he said.

Fox News
http://www.foxnews.com/health/051700/anthrax.sml

via:bible_prophecy-news@onelist.com

See http://philologos.org/bpr for additional info.

========
To: bpr-list@philologos.org (BPR Mailing List)
Subject: [BPR] - Infobeat News items
From: bpr-list@philologos.org("Moza")
Date: Fri, 19 May 2000 08:54:13 -0400

*** 8 bow out of Clinton disbarment case

LITTLE ROCK, Ark. (AP) - More than half the members of a state panel
with the power to strip President Clinton of his law license have
bowed out of the case. The recusals leave barely enough members to
consider whether to discipline him for lying under oath in the Paula
Jones sexual harassment case. The 14-member Arkansas Supreme Court
Committee on Professional Conduct meets Friday and could consider two
requests that Clinton be disciplined. The committee did not say
Thursday why any of the eight committee members removed themselves.
Five had contributed to Clinton's presidential campaigns or to other
Democratic Party candidates. "It is heartening to know that Arkansas
Committee members who have recused themselves for apparent or
perceived political reasons are helping to maintain the integrity of
this process," said Matthew Glavin, president of the Southeastern
Legal Foundation of Atlanta, which filed one of the two complaints.
See http://www.infobeat.com/stories/cgi/story.cgi?id=2566652991-c62

*** South Korean prime minister resigns

SEOUL, South Korea (AP) - Prime Minister Park Tae-joon resigned
Friday after a court ruled that he had concealed his ownership of
properties in a bid to avoid large tax payments. Park's resignation
from his largely ceremonial post was unlikely to affect the chief
policies of President Kim Dae-jung: economic reforms and engagement
with communist North Korea. But his downfall further sullied the
reputation of South Korea's political establishment, which has
endured a series of corruption scandals in recent years. Kim accepted
Park's resignation and appointed Finance Minister Lee Hun-jai to
serve as acting prime minister, the president's office said. Park's
successor will be named next week. Opposition parties and civic
groups had called on Park to quit and issue a public apology after a
court said this week that he put property valued at dlrs 5.3 million
under another person's name to avoid paying taxes. See
http://www.infobeat.com/stories/cgi/story.cgi?id=2566649573-85a

*** Armed protesters hold Fiji premier

SUVA, Fiji (AP) - Declaring they were taking power in a coup, seven
masked men with AK-47 rifles stormed Fiji's parliament Friday and
seized the island's prime minister and seven Cabinet ministers,
Australian Broadcasting Corp. Radio and local media reported. At
least two shots were fired inside the building during the attack,
which began at about 10 a.m., New Zealand's National Radio reported
from Suva. The coup was led by Fijian businessman George Speight, son
of an opposition lawmaker, who released a statement claiming he had
taken control of Fiji, a local news Web site reported. "Through these
actions I am asserting ownership, am asserting control and I am
asserting executive power over Fiji. We have revoked the constitution
and have set that aside," Speight said, adding that the coup leaders
had also revoked the powers of the president. See
http://www.infobeat.com/stories/cgi/story.cgi?id=2566653113-89e

*** Nuclear powers to eliminate weapons

UNITED NATIONS (AP) - The five nuclear powers agreed Thursday to
eventually eliminate their nuclear arsenals, a decision hailed by
several countries without such weapons. But the agreement specified
no timetable for implementation and delegates said it would take many
years to achieve a nuclear-free world. The preliminary deal could
become part of a final document expected to be approved by Friday, at
the conclusion of a 187-nation conference reviewing the Nuclear
Nonproliferation Treaty. As negotiations on other issues continuing
Thursday night, even the staunchest advocates of disarmament
expressed only cautious optimism over the agreement. "I don't count
my chickens until they're hatched," U.N. Undersecretary-General for
Disarmament Affairs Jayantha Dhanapala said. See
http://www.infobeat.com/stories/cgi/story.cgi?id=2566652100-e53

*** Putin names new Russia Cabinet

MOSCOW (AP) - President Vladimir Putin named his new Cabinet
Thursday, reappointing most ministers from Boris Yeltsin's government
and reducing the number of ministries and government agencies. Putin
also named presidential representatives to the seven administrative
zones he recently carved out of the world's largest nation in an
effort to solidify federal control over the regions. Five of the
seven envoys are generals with the army, police or intelligence
services - reinforcing Putin's promises to restore stability by
strengthening the state and cracking down on unruly regions. But
politicians balked at Putin's proposals to reform the upper house of
parliament and give the president the right to fire unlawful
governors. See
http://www.infobeat.com/stories/cgi/story.cgi?id=2566645904-b22

*** U.S. firm on Russia missile treaty

WASHINGTON (AP) - Even if he is unable to convince Russia to change a
treaty barring a national missile defense, President Clinton will "go
ahead with a deployment decision" on such a program if it is in the
national interest, a senior official said Thursday. The chairman of
Russia's International Affairs Committee said such a move could have
dangerous consequences. "Basically, we are against opening this
Pandora's Box," said Dimitriy Rogozin, chairman of the International
Affairs Committee of the Russian State Duma. Clinton is expected to
seek Russian President Vladimir Putin's approval to amend a 1972
treaty that bans national missile defenses in their talks in Moscow
June 4-5. But a senior U.S. official, briefing reporters on the
summit, said Clinton would go ahead without Putin's approval if he
concluded a missile defense met U.S. criteria, which include security
needs. See
http://www.infobeat.com/stories/cgi/story.cgi?id=2566645137-912

*** Israel denies threat against Arafat

JERUSALEM (AP) - A Palestinian official accused an Israeli general
Thursday of threatening to attack Yasser Arafat's headquarters with
helicopter gunships. The general's superior denied the charge and
accused the Palestinians of deliberate distortion. Palestinian
negotiator Saeb Erekat said the threat was made at a late-night
meeting after riots swept the West Bank Monday. During the clashes,
Palestinian police and civilian activists of Arafat's party opened
fire on Israeli soldiers, who returned fire, killing three
Palestinians. The meeting was between Brig. Gen. Shlomo Oren,
commander of Israeli forces in the West Bank, and Gen. Haj. Ismail,
commander of the Palestinian security forces. Erekat said Oren
threatened to order Israeli helicopters to attack the headquarters of
Arafat, the Palestinian leader, if the shooting at Israeli soldiers
continued. Palestinian officers walked out of the meeting in protest,
he said. See
http://www.infobeat.com/stories/cgi/story.cgi?id=2566647505-a55

*** World Bank approves Iran loans

WASHINGTON (AP) _Overriding U.S. opposition, the World Bank approved
$232 million in loans to Iran Thursday, the first in seven years.
World Bank President James Wolfensohn and other participants at the
meeting of the bank's 24-member executive board said the U.S. voted
against the proposal, while France and Canada abstained. Secretary of
State Madeleine Albright told reporters she telephoned and wrote
other governments to ask them to oppose the loans as inappropriate
while Iran was conducting a "show trial" of 13 Jews on espionage
charges. The U.S. voted against the loans also because Iran sponsors
terrorism and has not adopted economic reform programs, Albright
said. But she said a number of countries thought extending the loans
would strengthen the hand of reform elements in Iran. See
http://www.infobeat.com/stories/cgi/story.cgi?id=2566644004-8ab

*** Networks may skip Clinton address

WASHINGTON (AP) - President Clinton's speech Sunday night promoting a
U.S-China trade deal will air live on only one of the three major
television networks. CBS and ABC said Thursday they will not carry
the speech, despite a request from the White House. NBC, CNN and FOX
will air a live broadcast of the five-minute address. After weeks of
internal debate, the White House announced Thursday morning that
Clinton would make a nationally televised address on the China deal -
the last major trade fight of his administration and a significant
legislative victory if the Republican-led Congress passes it next
week. "I think the president thinks that this is an extremely
important issue. He wants to make sure that he has a chance to
articulate why a positive vote ... is in our economic and national
security interests," White House spokesman Joe Lockhart said. See
http://www.infobeat.com/stories/cgi/story.cgi?id=2566646613-17a

*** Space station needs Atlantis badly

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. (AP) - The international space station needs
space shuttle Atlantis and its repair crew more than ever as more
parts break and it slips lower and lower in orbit. Atlantis was
scheduled to lift off shortly before sunrise Friday with new
batteries and other replacement parts for the space station. NASA
began fueling the shuttle Thursday night for NASA's fourth attempt to
send the shuttle to the rescue. Gusty wind wiped out all three launch
attempts in late April. Perfect weather was forecast this time. Four
of the six electricity-generating batteries on the space station have
failed or are failing. Replacing them is NASA's No. 1 priority.
During the past three weeks, yet another electrical component began
faltering: a Russian battery-charging device, which will have to be
replaced. NASA's No. 2 priority is boosting the space station. See
http://www.infobeat.com/stories/cgi/story.cgi?id=2566649282-36d

*** 8th grade food fight spurs arrests

CHICAGO (AP) - Twelve eighth-graders were arrested in a food fight
that broke out in the school cafeteria after a guidance counselor
announced that half of their class wouldn't graduate. The Ashe
Elementary School counselor announced over the intercom Wednesday
that half of the 72 students had failed the standardized exam and
would have to attend summer school. The students apparently became
upset because the counselor wouldn't specify who had failed, said
Blondean Davis, the school system's chief of school operations. "The
students went into a lunchroom as a group, and some were calm while
others became more and more agitated. They began to throw food,"
Davis said. Eleven students face juvenile charges of disorderly
conduct, while one was charged with aggravated battery on a police
officer after she kicked an officer as he tried to handcuff her, a
police spokesman said. See
http://www.infobeat.com/stories/cgi/story.cgi?id=2566645719-8ac

*** 3rd-graders suspended for lewd act

WEST BATH, Maine (AP) - Five third-grade boys were suspended after a
girl in their class told officials the boys twice pinned her to the
ground while one boy simulated a sex act. Officials at West Bath
School said the third-graders had been suspended for four to eight
days. The Sagadahoc County Sheriff's Department is investigating, but
no decision had been made on whether charges would be filed against
the boys, whose names have not been released. Richard Regan, attorney
for the 9-year-old girl's parents, said Wednesday the couple thought
officials were playing down the boy's actions. "The reasons the
parents have come forward is the public perception that the
harassment was just pinching, poking and inappropriate language. It
is much more serious than that," Regan said. See
http://www.infobeat.com/stories/cgi/story.cgi?id=2566641124-3fc

See http://philologos.org/bpr for additional info.

========
To: bpr-list@philologos.org (BPR Mailing List)
Subject: [BPR] - Canada says no risk to privacy from giant database
From: bpr-list@philologos.org("Moza")
Date: Fri, 19 May 2000 09:02:40 -0400

Canada says no risk to privacy from giant database

Updated 4:05 PM ET May 18, 2000

By David Ljunggren

  OTTAWA(Reuters) - The Canadian government Thursday
  dismissed fears that private companies and others would be
  able to access a vast federal database containing up to 2,000
  pieces of information on every Canadian citizen.

  Human Resources Minister Jane Stewart -- already mired in a
  scandal over the mismanagement of multibillion dollar job
  programs -- fended off a barrage of questions in parliament
  from concerned opposition members.

  "It's bad enough that such a database exists in the first place.
  But why is this minister not concerned that it might fall into the
  wrong hands?" asked Deborah Grey, leader of the official
  opposition Canadian Alliance party.

  "Canadians want to know why a minister who bungled a billion
  of their dollars is now gathering the private, most intimate details
  of their lives," she said, provoking a terse reaction from the
  minister in question.

  "It is a stand-alone system that is highly controlled, there is
  limited access and the information is secure," Stewart replied to
  some catcalls and jeers.

  The row erupted earlier this week when privacy commissioner
  Bruce Phillips released a report saying Stewart's department
  had quietly compiled massive files on every Canadian citizen
  detailing their tax, health, medical and other records.

  He said he was very concerned that the government had shared
  information from the database -- officially known as the
  Longitudinal Labour Force File -- with outside companies.

  "Successive privacy commissioners have assured Canadians
  that there was no single federal government file or profile about
  them. We were wrong -- or not right enough for comfort," said
  Phillips.

  "Continually centralizing and integrating so much personal data
  on almost every person in Canada poses significant risks to our
  privacy," he added, saying he was not convinced Stewart's
  department had imposed strict enough security controls.

  Stewart said the database is legal and insists records are used
  solely to help her department test the efficacy of various social
  programs.

  But some compare the idea of a single database containing vast
  amounts of information on 33 million living and dead Canadians
  to "Big Brother," the all-knowing and all-powerful figure from
  George Orwell's novel "1984".

  "Why does the minister violate Canadians' privacy without their
  consent?" asked Diane Ablonczy of the Canadian Alliance, who
  has made a career of hounding Stewart.

  "Protection of privacy and the information of Canadians is
  fundamental and I will not tolerate any breach of that in my
  department," said Stewart.

  The information includes details of income tax, employment
  records, ethnicity, citizenship, travel, education, marital and
  family status, disabilities and preferred language.

  "Private details are given with the tacit understanding that they
  will be used solely to complete the bureaucracy at hand, not for
  general dissemination among faceless officials. Our lives' details
  do not become the general property of the state," said an
  editorial in the National Post newspaper.

Justice Minister Anne McLellan has already said it might now
be time to review federal privacy legislation.

  The provincial government of French-speaking Quebec
  Wednesday asked Ottawa to destroy the confidential data it
  holds on Quebecers.

"We believe the government should not be in possession of such
information," said Immigration Minister Robert Perreault.

  British Columbia also voiced objections to the keeping of secret
  files and warned that it might withhold personal data from
  Ottawa unless the federal government agrees to stringent
  controls on how the information will be used.

http://news.excite.com/news/r/000518/16/rights-canada-privacy

See http://philologos.org/bpr for additional info.

========
To: bpr-list@philologos.org (BPR Mailing List)
Subject: [BPR] - IsraelWire items (5/19/00)
From: bpr-list@philologos.org("Moza")
Date: Fri, 19 May 2000 09:11:32 -0400

Suggested legislation to give terrorists POW status
(IsraelWire-5/19) The Ministry of Justice is examining whether or not to
support legislation proposed by the Ministry of Defense and the IDF that
is intended to prevent the release of Sheik Obeid and Mustafa Dirani from
Israeli prison, after last month's release of 13 other Lebanese prisoners.

The proposed legislation was presented to the Ministry of Justice a few
days ago. The legislation would prevent the High Court of Justice from
ordering the release of Obeid, senior in the Hizbullah, and Dirani, senior
in the Amal organization, who was the last known source holding Ron Arad.
The High Court could order the release of the two because they are being
held in administrative detention, without trial.

According to the proposed legislation, members of terror organizations
would be considered as enemy soldiers, and could be jailed in accordance
with international conventions concerning prisoners of war.

Minister of Justice Yossi Beilin stated that he has no intention of
opposing the new law, but will ensure that the law will match
international agreements concerning POW's.

After the Justice Ministry examines the law, the Ministry will give its
recommendations to the Defense Ministry, and then the legislation proposal
will be forwarded to the prime minister's office.

Israel agrees to increase UNIFIL budget
(IsraelWire-5/19) Israel will this year pay the United Nations $5 million
for its participation in covering the cost of the UNIFIL troop in southern
Lebanon. The sum is five-times the amount paid in past years. This comes
in addition to the joint budgetary payment to the international force of
$3.5 million, brining Israel's total payment to the UN for the force this
year to $8.5 million.

The change in payments is due to the reclassification of Israel from a
developing nation to a developed nation. The daily Yediot Ahronot adds
that the large increase in payment was an Israeli response to a US
incentive. The payment issue was raised in talks on Monday in New York
City between Foreign Minister David Levy and United States Ambassador to
the United Nations, William Holbrook.

The amount paid to the peacekeeping force fluctuates from year to year.
Israel's agreement to the increased payment this year was not brought for
approval to the finance minister.

SLA compelled to turn over heavy equipment
(IsraelWire-5/17) In a move seen by some as Israel's 'selling out' of its
allied Southern Lebanese Army forces, Israel has agreed to a request by
United Nations Secretary-General Kofi Annan, to take back all heavy
weaponry in the possession of the SLA prior to the final troop withdrawal.

This week, Israel's Coordinator of Activities in Southern Lebanon, Uri
Lubrani, accompanied by officials from the Defense Ministry, met in NYC
with United Nations officials, to discuss the unilateral Israeli troop
withdrawal. The forum is establishing the character and dealing with the
logistics involved in creating the new northern border between Israel and
Lebanon.

Lubrani told United Nations special envoy Terje Roed Larsen that Israel
would take back all tanks and heavy artillery currently in the hands of
SLA forces, in compliance with UN demands. This is to ensure the equipment
does not fall into the hands of Hizbullah and/or Amal guerilla forces. The
move is also designed to ensure SLA forces cannot in the future use the
heavy armaments, to prevent an escalation in fighting which may result in
pulling IDF troops back into southern Lebanon.

At present, SLA forces have 130mm artillery, T-55 Soviet made tanks, which
were captured and refurbished by the IDF, as well as US made M-113 armored
personnel carriers.

The Security Council will convene next week and rule on the size of the
new UNIFIL force that will take up position following the IDF troop
withdrawal. UN officials have indicated that the force will be between
2,500-7,000 troops. On Wednesday, twelve nations volunteered to send
troops to man the international force. Once the Security Council approves
the recommendation of Larsen, and approves the new international force, it
will result in international recognition of Israel's new northern
boundary.

In Brief - Jordan's King Abdullah to meet with President el-Assad
(IsraelWire-5/19) Jordan's King Abdullah II is scheduled to meet in
Damascus on Sunday with Syrian leader, President Hafez el-Assad. On the
agenda will be the ongoing Oslo process between Israel and the PLO
Authority (PA) as well as Israel's unilateral troop withdrawal from the
security zone of southern Lebanon.

Joseph's Tomb in ruins once again
(IsraelWire-5/19) IDF commanders on Thursday visited the Joseph's Tomb/Od
Yosef Chai Yeshiva complex in the autonomous city of Nablus, in northern
Samaria, to analyze the situation following Monday's day of Arab warfare.

As was the case during the September 1996 Arab riots, local residents,
causing significant damage, targeted the holy site. Firebombs caused the
destruction of holy books and sizeable property damage. Since Monday's
violence, the site was closed to Jewish worshipers.

On Monday, a tank was deployed on a strategic site overlooking the
autonomous city, sending a clear message to the local inhabitants. Colonel
Yehuda Shaked, the IDF Shomron Battalion commander stated his forces are
preparing for Friday and Saturday, which promise to be accompanied by more
Arab attacks. Fatah Panthers have circulated fliers calling for attacks
against Israeli soldiers and civilians on those days to keep the issue of
imprisoned Arab security prisoners at the forefront.

Shaked admitted that the complex is a most "sensitive location" and from a
military point of view, difficult to protect and defend. The location sits
inside the autonomous city, surrounded by PLO Authority (PA) paramilitary
forces. The small border police force assigned to defend the site was
withdrawn following the arrival of the tank and were only returned when
the situation quieted down. In the 1996 riots, eight Israeli border
policemen were killed as they attempted to defend the site while
reinforcements were dispatched.

On Monday� Nakba Day, no less than 100 firebombs were hurled at the holy
site according to a Channel 2 TV News report.

In the meantime, students of the Od Yosef Chai Yeshiva has set up a
temporary structure as close as they are permitted to Nablus, where they
continue to hold prayer services in anticipation of being permitted to
return, to once again begin restoring the holy site to its former state.

Barak to urge Clinton's intervention on Russian Iranian ties
(IsraelWire-5/19) In a meeting scheduled for next week in Washington, DC,
Prime Minister Ehud Barak is expected to ask US President Bill Clinton to
raise the issue of Russian nuclear technology sale to Iran during his June
4 summit with Russian President Vladimir Putin, Haaretz reported.

Barak will reportedly ask Clinton to demand that Russia halt aid to Iran
in developing its nuclear capability, and to stress the imminent strategic
threat to Israel constituted by such capability.

Head of the Research Division in the Israel Defense Forces Intelligence
Corps Brig.-Gen. Amos Gilad said earlier this week, "The Clinton-Putin
summit is our last chance. If Russia isn't persuaded, the Iranians will
accumulate such capabilities which will allow them to develop nuclear
might within seven years."

Gilad also said that Israel has no doubt that Russia is assisting Iran, in
an attempt to create a counterbalance to U.S. dominance in the region.

"Selling knowledge, unlike arms, allows plausible deniability," he said.
"Although the extent of Russia's involvement is under dispute, Russia
certainly has many reasons to strategically cooperate with Iran: the oil,
the Caspian sea, the feeling of isolation vis-�-vis the United States and
the expansion of NATO in eastern Europe." (Israel Consulate- NY)

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========
To: bpr-list@philologos.org (BPR Mailing List)
Subject: [BPR] - Cola Label Tiff
From: bpr-list@philologos.org("Moza")
Date: Fri, 19 May 2000 09:22:08 -0400

Cola Label Tiff

Coke Looks for ‘Rumor-Mongers�

Company officials and Muslim clerics vehemently deny a rumor that the Coca-Cola logo, upside down or backwards, contains insults to Islam.

By Hoda Abdel-Hamid

C A I R O, Egypt, May 19 — Take the Coca Cola logo, in English, then turn it upside down or look at it in a mirror. “No to Mohammed, No to Mecca” is how it is said to read, in Arabic — at least according to the latest rumor spreading through Egypt. Coca-Cola Co. officials said they do not know who is responsible for saying the soft drink�s label insults Islam�s prophet and its holiest site. But, while they insist the company is the victim of a smear campaign, they are taking the matter seriously. “It all started over the Internet “ said Mahmoud Hamdy, the regional technical external affairs manager for the Coca-Cola Co. in Egypt, “and then leaflets with the logo upside down were distributed in schools and mosques in various regions of the country.” Hamdy says the same rumor was spread in Saudi Arabia a few months ago, and government bodies there, including Islamic scholars, cleared the trademark from any allegations.

Grand Mufti Clears Coke But, fearing serious consequences, Coca-Cola acted swiftly in Egypt. An official request was made to the Grand Mufti Sheik Nasser Farid Wassel, Egypt�s most senior religious figure, to give his opinion on the matter. The logo was also closely scrutinized by researchers and linguists at the Ifta�a Institute, a scholarly authority on Islamic law. All found no harm. “The trademark does not injure Islam or Muslims directly or indirectly “ the mufti ruled. In an official statement, he found that: “The trademark was designed 114 years ago in the state of Georgia and was written in a foreign language, not in Arabic,” and that “no one had objected until now.” Sheik Wassel also had harsh words for what he termed the rumor mongers, saying: “Such a rumor can harm the country and Islam more than it benefits it.” He warned them “to fear God” because the Koran, the Islamic holy book, “urges Muslims not to spread unfair rumors unless they have legal proof.”

Jobs Could Be Lost The mufti also said that Coca-Cola employs more 10,000 people in Egypt who could lose their jobs for no good reason. Coca-Cola, which “is enjoyed by more than 1 billion Muslims” is continuing its counterattack. The company armed its salesforce and truck drivers with a copy of the mufti�s ruling ready to display it at anytime. Although the company has yet not measured any significant decrease in sales, local distributors say people are now more wary and need to be reassured. According to one local vendor, sales have plummeted by 10 to 15 percent even though it is the summer season. Coca-Cola says it enjoys 54 percentof the soft drink market share in Egypt. Now, it is trying desparately to keep ahold of that market.

http://www.abcnews.go.com/sections/world/DailyNews/egypt000518_coke.ht ml

Link via: htp//www.newsviewtoday.com

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========
To: bpr-list@philologos.org (BPR Mailing List)
Subject: [BPR] - Religion Today News Items: May 19, 2000
From: bpr-list@philologos.org
Date: Fri, 19 May 2000 08:41:53 -0500

------- Forwarded message follows -------
Date sent: Fri, 19 May 2000 1:0:7
Subject: ReligionToday News Summary for Friday, May 19, 2000
To: <owner-bpr@philologos.org>
From: Crosswalk.com <editor@crosswalk.com>
Send reply to: listreplies@crosswalk.com

C U R R E N T N E W S S U M M A R Y
by the Editors of ReligionToday

May 19, 2000

[... snipped ... ]

The famous Oberammergau passion play has made changes this year.
The drama depicting the last days of Jesus Christ got a
"substantial rewrite" with input from American Jewish and
Catholic scholars, a Jewish group says.
...The phrase from Matthew 27:25, "let His blood be on us and our
children," has been eliminated. Critics have said, as the Second
Vatican Council declared in 1965, that Jews no longer should be held
collectively and perpetually responsible for the death of Jesus. And
for the first time, Jesus will be referred to as rabbi, not Christ, in
the play. Also, the actor portraying Jesus says a prayer in Hebrew,
and a celebratory meal is called Passover, the Jewish Telegraphic
Agency (see link #2 below) said. ...Critics have complained that the
play portrays Jews as "greedy, evil, and amoral enemies of Jesus," the
JTA said. James Rudin of the American Jewish Committee said he saw a
performance in 1984 during which the costume of a Jewish priest
included "devil horns." Residents of Oberammergau also made some
changes to the play in the 1980s. ...Citizens of the Bavarian village
have staged the play every 10 years since 1634 in thanksgiving to God
for deliverance from an outbreak of plague. Two thousand residents
participate in the 6-hour drama, which is expected to draw a half
million tourists this year. It opens May 21 and runs all summer.

Twenty-five thousand Ethiopian Jews are waiting to emigrate to
Israel. They claim Jewish ancestry and are waiting for the
Israeli government to declare them eligible to move to the
country, USA Today said. Israel's "law of return" gives anyone
with at least one Jewish grandparent permission to live in
Israel.
...Applications from Ethiopia have accumulated for more than 10
years without being acted upon, said New York attorney Joseph
Feit, who is suing on behalf of the Ethiopian Jews. Applications
from Russia and other Slavic states take as little as two weeks,
he said. Ethiopians claim they are discriminated against because
they are poor and have no political allies in Israel. "We aren't
professors and doctors like the Russians and Americans who come,"
Avraham Neguise of an Ethiopian advocacy group said. ...The
applications often are incomplete and confusing, an Israeli government
worker said. "There is nothing they can bring with them to prove their
Jewishness. Some can't even fill out the application," said Louisa
Valitsky, adviser to Interior Minister Natan Sharansky. Israel's
Supreme Court has ordered Sharansky to present a plan for addressing
the application problem by May 23. ...About 30,000 Ethiopians have
emigrated to Israel since the early 1980s. Israeli authorities have
questioned their legitimacy to come to the country, believing they
just are trying to escape poverty in their country. Ethiopian Jews
observe traditions that others Jews don't recognize and their dietary
laws aren't kosher, USA Today said. Many said they pretended to be
Christians to avoid persecution by the majority Orthodox population in
Ethiopia.

Religious-based sex education is catching on among various
groups. Conservative and liberal Christian, Jewish, and Unitarian
congregations are using spiritual teachings to inform their young
people about responsible sexual behavior, Religion News Service said.
...That helps teen-agers view sex from a divine perspective, said
Carlton Veazey of the Religious Coalition for Reproductive Choice's
Black Church Initiative. The group seeks to bring sex education
initiatives to black congregations. ..."We teach that we must be
responsible stewards of all of our God-given gifts. This takes
sexuality out of the 'do and don't' school, which doesn't work, and
makes it a spiritual principle," he said. Teens are amazed to learn
that sexuality can be a vehicle for holiness, said Peter Knobel, an
Evanston, Ill., rabbi.

-----------
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1: http://www.religiontoday.com/Archive/NewsSummary/view.cgi?file=20000512.brf.html

2: http://www.jta.org/

-----------
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========
To: bpr-list@philologos.org (BPR Mailing List)
Subject: [BPR] - (Fwd) Italian fireworks explosion kills 3
From: bpr-list@philologos.org
Date: Fri, 19 May 2000 10:20:08 -0500

------- Forwarded message follows -------

via: hblondel@tampabay.rr.com

[Strange... this makes the fifth fireworks plant explosion in less
than a week, with 3 in Europe, 1 in China, and 1 in the USA, plus the
massive amunition depot explosion in Guatemala - Hal]

Italian fireworks explosion kills 3

May 18, 2000
4:17 PM EDT (2017 GMT)

VEROLI, Italy (Reuters) -- Police said three people died in an
explosion at a small fireworks factory in southern Italy on Thursday,
the third such explosion inside a week in Europe.

Witnesses at the scene said they heard two explosions in the village
of Veroli, south of Rome. Factory owner Guido Belli and his son Bruno
died in the explosion and a third person, a 49-year-old man who was
working for Belli, died in a hospital.

The explosion came after a fireworks accident in Enschede,
Netherlands, on Saturday that killed 20 people and left nearly 950
injured. A total of 110 people remained unaccounted for on Wednesday.
And on Tuesday, six people were killed when a fireworks factory
exploded in the southeastern province of Valencia in Spain.

Veroli mayor Danilo Campanari said the factory conformed with legal
requirements.

He said the Belli family had built fireworks for generations and
another family member was killed in a similar explosion decades ago.

"This is the oldest fireworks factory in the area. The father and the
grandfather had done this job for decades," Campanari said.

"Everything conformed to the law...they were preparing fireworks for
the (religious fair) of Santa Rita," he said.

------- End of forwarded message -------

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========
To: bpr-list@philologos.org (BPR Mailing List)
Subject: [BPR] - Russia Arms Children to Beef up Military
From: bpr-list@philologos.org
Date: Fri, 19 May 2000 17:20:29 -0500

http://www.newsmax.com/articles/?a=2000/5/18/195253

Russia Arms Children to Beef up Military

NewsMax.com
Friday, May 18, 2000

In America kids get a slap on the wrist for toting a handgun to
school. But in Russia, the government is arming schoolchildren with
assault rifles and grenades.

Russian President Vladimir Putin, formerly of the KGB, has ordered
that male students age 15 and up will undergo military training
classes. Schoolgirls will study how to aid wounded soldiers in
battle, reports the magazine Mother Jones.

Putin's plan revives Soviet-style military training abolished in 1991.

"A man should know what the armed forces are. That's a must," Putin
said in February while pushing for a bigger military.

The order has angered some parents and teachers.

Nonna Chernyakova, a lieutenant in the reserves, recalls how at age
14 she learned to toss grenades, assemble Kalashnikov semi-automatic
rifles, write propaganda and interrogate prisoners. But she doesn't
want her her teen son doing the same.

"He envied me that I had a chance to shoot a rifle or dismantle a
Kalashnikov," she told Mother Jones. "He doesn't understand that it
is not a game people play for fun. Anything military has ultimate
goal to kill people."

-- more --

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========
To: bpr-list@philologos.org (BPR Mailing List)
Subject: [BPR] - Chicago Teachers To Grade Parents
From: bpr-list@philologos.org("Moza")
Date: Fri, 19 May 2000 19:05:04 -0400

04:37 AM ET 05/19/00

Chicago Teachers To Grade Parents

By NICOLE ZIEGLER DIZON
Associated Press Writer

CHICAGO (AP) _ Teachers in Chicago will send home a new type of
progress report next year _ one that evaluates Mom and Dad on their
parenting skills. The ``parent checklists'' won't contain letter grades but will
tell parents whether they're helping enough with homework or getting their
children to school on time, school officials said Thursday. Parents with low
marks could be referred to a parent training academy. ``The objective here is
to help parents by continually communicating with them and sending home a
checklist that can serve not only as an instructive instrument, but also as a
reminder ... of what they should be doing,'' said Paul Vallas, chief executive
officer of Chicago Public Schools. The checklists would be issued every five
weeks for all students, Vallas said. Items will include whether children are
dressed properly for school, fall asleep in class, wear their glasses or attend
class regularly. Some parents criticized the idea as way to shift blame for
poor student performance onto parents instead of teachers and school
officials. Johnny O-Neal Holmes, father of a 15-year-old boy in Chicago
public schools, said parents who would heed the advice already pay
attention to their children at home. ``If you can't even get people to come to
school for a parent conference, how can you get them to take a parenting
class?'' Holmes asked. He called the parent report cards a ``smokescreen''
to divert attention from the large number of students poised to fail the eighth
grade. On Wednesday, a dozen students at one elementary school were
arrested for starting a food fight after a counselor announced half of the
eighth graders would not graduate on time. Vallas dismissed those charges.
He said the checklists are simply a way to help parents guide their children.
``We all complain about the lack of parental involvement,'' Vallas said. ``Well,
what about the parents? Let's do something about it.'' Patty Yoxall, a
spokeswoman for the National Parent Teacher Association, said she has not
heard of other school districts distributing parent checklists. She said the
intention seems good, and may help open the lines of communication
between parents and teachers, but added it's too early to tell how effective it
might be. ``The reaction could be everything from grateful to sort of irritated,''
Yoxall said. Julie Woestehoff, executive director of the Chicago reform group
Parents United for Responsible Education, said teachers who are doing their
jobs already call parents if a child is failing to wear glasses or skipping
class. Other possible items on the checklist _ such as whether a child is
going to bed at a proper time _ invade a family's privacy, she said. ``You
have to have a relationship with the teacher,'' Woestehoff said. ``It has to be
face to face and personal. It can't be a checklist, which I think is very cold.''
http://www.infobeat.com/stories/cgi/story.cgi?id=2566657062-3e0

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========
To: bpr-list@philologos.org (BPR Mailing List)
Subject: [BPR] - JVIM Update news items
From: bpr-list@philologos.org("Moza")
Date: Fri, 19 May 2000 19:26:05 -0400

EUROPEAN UNION FUNDAMENTAL
CHANGE FORCES DEFENDANTS TO
PROVE INNOCENCE
May 19, 2000

The London Telegraph: =93A new code that will force Europe's
employers to prove their innocence in court when accused of
racial discrimination was approved by Euro-MPs yesterday. The
directive will reverse the burden of proof in cases involving
race discrimination in the workplace and education, thus
eroding a fundamental safeguard in British law. Tories said it
would fuel the =91compensation culture=92. Originally the European
Commission modeled the directive on Britain's racial
equality laws, then went considerably further. It denied that
the new law infringed the rights of the accused. =91It is a shift
in the burden of evidence,=92 a spokesman for the social
affairs commissioner, Anna Diamatopoulou, said yesterday.
=91The claimant still has to come up with a solid factual case to get
the process going.=92 But the directive clearly puts the onus on
the accused to prove their innocence =91once the complainant
has established facts from which a court or tribunal can presume
discrimination=92. Further tilting the balance, third party organizations
and lobbies, such as victims groups, will acquire the right to file
race lawsuits on behalf of claimants. The commission justified the
directive on the grounds that it can be hard for race victims to
obtain the sort of evidence required to prove their case in court. It
is the most dramatic evidence to date of the EU's sweeping
new powers to dictate social policy....=94

THE PUSH IS ON FOR A WRITTEN
EUROPEAN UNION CONSTITUTION
May 19, 2000

The London Times reported: "Chris Patten is about to ignite
the smouldering debate over Europe by calling for a written
EU constitution. Mr. Patten, the EU's External Affairs
Commissioner, acknowledges that the idea will be denounced as
heretical by hardline members of his own Conservative Party, who
regard a written constitution as the next step towards a European
super-state. It also goes well beyond anything the Blair
Government is prepared to consider at present. Mr. Patten said
that he believed a constitution that established the division of
powers between Brussels and national governments was the only
way to convince Eurosceptics that nation states will not be
subsumed into a United States of Europe, and to begin building
popular support for the EU. People inside and outside Britain
were frightened of the EU because they had no idea where it was
heading. It was like a UFO and 'none of us know which planet it's
going to finish up on', he said...Joschka Fischer, Germany's
Foreign Minister, last week demanded a constitution for a
European federal government, but Mr Patten insisted that his own
purpose was to set limits on the EU's powers, not to expand
them...Britain was told yesterday that its refusal to accept
reforms and give up its veto over Europe-wide taxation
threatens to paralyze the EU. Michel Barnier, the European
Commissioner for institutional reform, said that Britain may
come to regret its opposition to such measures once the EU
has been expanded to 27 or even 30 members."

CHINA AND EUROPEAN UNION REACH
TRADE DEAL AFTER YEARS OF
NEGOTIATING
May 19, 2000

CNN reported: =93China and the European Union reached a market
access deal on Friday that removes the last major hurdle to
China's entry to the World Trade Organization. After five days of
talks in Beijing, the deal was signed by EU Trade Commissioner
Pascal Lamy and Chinese Trade Minister Shi Guangsheng. The
two shared a champagne toast to celebrate the end of marathon
negotations stretched out over 14 years. Details of the agreement
were not immediately available.=94

RUSSIAN SENDING CRUISE MISSILES
TO CHINA
May 19, 2000

The Washington Times reported: =93Russia recently delivered the
first shipment of supersonic cruise missiles to China for a new
missile destroyer and more of the weapons will be sent later this
year, Pentagon officials said Thursday. The deployment of the
24 SSN-22 anti-ship cruise missiles on a Chinese
Sovremenny-class destroyer is the most significant recent
weapons development by the People's Liberation Army (PLA)
naval forces, according to Navy officials...The missiles will be
deployed on China's new Sovremenny-class guided-missile
destroyer, the first of two advanced warships bought by the PLA
navy...Naval officials told The Washington Times the
cruise-missile destroyer represents a major boost in Chinese
surface warship firepower. =91The Sovremenny arrival is obviously
the big issue that really did change the capability of the surface
force,=92 one official said...The missile delivery comes at an
awkward time for the Clinton administration as it seeks to lobby
Congress for passage of a trade bill to help China. The
president has said improving trade relations with China will
boost U.S. national security. The administration last month also
refused to authorize the sale to Taiwan of four Aegis
radar-equipped missile destroyers and high-speed
anti-radiation missiles that could be used by Taiwan's forces to
counter the new warships...=94

NEW PRESIDENT IN TAIWAN
PREPARES RESPONSE TO CHINA
May 19, 2000

The South China Morning Post reported: =93Taiwan's
president-elect Chen Shui-bian is preparing to make a final
decision today on how to respond to Beijing's demand that he
make an unqualified pledge to abide by the =91one-China=92
principle. Taipei sources said yesterday his advisers had
narrowed the options, with near-consensus that Mr. Chen should
at best meet the demands only partially, by an =91indirect
acknowledgement=92 of the precept. One option is that instead of a
promise to abide by the principle, Mr. Chen will say merely that
he will take note of the historical trend towards realizing the
=91one-China=92 ideal. Another option, cited by a sizeable number of
advisers, is for the Democratic Progressive Party politician to
restate his position that the =91one-China=92 principle is an =91item on
the agenda=92 of bilateral talks, not a precondition for them. One
other alternative is that instead of honoring =91one China=92, Mr. Chen
pledges that he considers residents of both sides of the Taiwan
Strait =91one people=92. Last night, Mr. Chen was still being handed
last-minute suggestions. =91Chen hopes Beijing will realize he is
constrained by Taiwan politics when making responses to its
demands,=92 the sources said. =91However, Chen wants to send the
message to Beijing that even an indirect acknowledgement of
the 'one-China' principle will demonstrate his sincere wish to
improve ties.=92 The one-sixth of Mr. Chen's inauguration speech
that will deal with cross-strait relations will seek to pacify Beijing
in other ways. He will probably spell out for the first time details of
how direct trade, transport and postal links will be realized by
both sides...=94

SYRIA GIVES ISRAEL DEMANDS THRU
EUROPEAN UNION MIDEAST ENVOY
May 19, 2000

MSNBC reported: Syria told the European Union on Thursday
that Israel must leave the disputed Shebaa Farms area as part
of its planned withdrawal from south Lebanon, a foreign ministry
spokesman said. He said that Foreign Minister Farouq al-Shara
also told the EU Middle East envoy Miguel Angel Moratinos that
Israel should leave Lebanon without conditions in compliance
with U.N. resolution 425. Israel has told the United Nations it
would pull out its troops from a 15-km (nine-mile) deep zone in
south Lebanon, excluding Shebaa, by July with or without a deal
with Syria, the main foreign power broker in Lebanon. The
Shebaa Farms area lies near the Golan Heights and on
Wednesday, Lebanese Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri said he
had maps that proved it was part of Lebanon although the United
Nations has yet to decide on the issue. Israel insists Shebaa is
part of the Golan, which it captured from Syria in 1967...=94

WILDFIRES IN UKRAINE STIR UP
RADIATION LEFT FROM 1986
CHERNOBYL NUCLEAR ACCIDENT
May 19, 2000

Reuters reported: =93Wild fires in Ukraine have stirred up
radioactive elements remaining in the environment from the 1986
Chernobyl nuclear disaster and raised radiation levels downwind
in Belarus, a senior U.S. official said on Wednesday. =91They've
detected increased levels of radiation, but not high enough to
warrant precautionary measures,=92 the U.S. official told Reuters.
He said his comments were based on information from U.S.,
Belarus and Ukrainian officials...=94

RUSSIAN PRESIDENT VISITS CENTRAL
ASIA
May 19, 2000

Agence France Presse reported: =93Newly inaugurated Russian
President Vladimir Putin begins a visit to Central Asia Thursday
in what is being seen as an attempt to restore his country's lost
authority in the volatile but resource-rich region. =91During the era
of first Russian President Boris Yeltsin, Russia lost its position in
Central Asia. This visit is a deliberate move aimed at
strengthening that position,=92 said Dosym Satpayev, deputy
director of the Central Asian Agency for Political Research. The
two-day visit by Putin to Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan is
expected to center around the issues of oil and gas transit, the
threat of Islamic extremism, and the spread of drugs and
weapons trafficking in the region. Turkmen President
Saparmurat Niyazov said his discussions with Putin would
concern the price that Russia is willing to pay for Turkmenistan's
gas. Last year, Turkmenistan agreed to provide Russia with 20
billion cubic meters of gas, and the two sides are in negotiations
to raise this to an annual 50 billion cubic meters over the next 30
years..."

http://www.jvim.com/cgi-bin/update.cgi

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