Voice of America, 98-08-27

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

CONTENTS

[01] U-N-H-C-R / KOSOVO (L ONLY) BY LISA SCHLEIN (GENEVA)

[02] EURO STOCKS (S ONLY) BY JACK HUIZENGA (LONDON)

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

[04] THURSDAY'S EDITORIALS BY RALPH A. ECKHARDT (WASHINGTON)

[01] U-N-H-C-R / KOSOVO (L ONLY) BY LISA SCHLEIN (GENEVA)

INTRO: THE U-N REFUGEE AGENCY, U-N-H-C-R, SAYS SERBIAN POLICE IN KOSOVO HAVE PREVENTED AN AID CONVOY FROM GETTING THROUGH TO THOUSANDS OF WAR VICTIMS. LISA SCHLEIN IN GENEVA REPORTS THE AGENCY HAS PROTESTED TO SERB AUTHORITIES IN KOSOVO'S CAPITAL, PRISTINA.

TEXT: THE U-N REFUGEE AGENCY SAYS A CONVOY OF EIGHT TRUCKS WAS ON ITS WAY TO DECANE, IN WESTERN KOSOVO, WHEN IT WAS STOPPED AT A CHECKPOINT BY SERBIAN POLICE. THE AGENCY SAYS THE POLICEMEN GAVE NO EXPLANATION FOR THEIR ACTION.

U-N-H-C-R SPOKESMAN KRIS JANOWSKI SAYS THIS IS THE FIRST TIME SINCE FIGHTING BROKE OUT IN MARCH BETWEEN YUGOSLAV SECURITY FORCES AND THE KOSOVO LIBERATION ARMY THAT THE SERBS HAVE FLATLY TURNED BACK A RELIEF CONVOY.

WE'VE HAD CHECKPOINT PROBLEMS BEFORE. BUT, SO FAR, THEY'VE NEVER TURNED US BACK IN SUCH AN UNCEREMONIOUS FASHION. WE HOPE THIS IS A ONE-OFF EVEN THOUGH IT IS QUITE ALARMING IN ITSELF SINCE THE SITUATION IN KOSOVO IS BAD AS IT IS. AND, THE LAST THING WE REALLY NEED IS OBSTRUCTION TO HUMANITARIAN AID.

THE TRUCKS WERE CARRYING THREE-THOUSAND FAMILY FOOD PARCELS, ENOUGH TO FEED 50-THOUSAND PEOPLE FOR ONE MONTH.

MR. JANOWSKI SAYS THE CONVOY WAS ON ITS WAY TO TWO VILLAGES IN THE DECANE REGION. HE SAYS THOUSANDS OF HOMELESS PEOPLE FLED THERE AFTER THEIR VILLAGES CAME UNDER ATTACK. HE DESCRIBES THE CONDITIONS UNDER WHICH THEY ARE LIVING AS DEPLORABLE, WITH MANY CAMPED OUT OF DOORS AND OTHERS SQUEEZED INTO CRAMPED, OVERCROWDED QUARTERS.

MR. JANOWSKI SAYS THESE PEOPLE ARE TOTALLY DEPENDENT ON OUTSIDE AID. AND HE SAYS IF THEY ARE NOT ABLE TO RECEIVE FOOD, MANY PEOPLE ARE LIKELY TO DIE.

WE STILL VERY WELL REMEMBER THE NIGHTMARE OF CHECKPOINTS, CONVOYS BEING TURNED BACK AND ALL KINDS OF OBSTACLES THAT WE WENT THROUGH IN BOSNIA FOR THREE CONSECUTIVE YEARS BETWEEN '92 AND '95. AND, WE CERTAINLY WOULDN'T LIKE TO SEE SOMETHING LIKE THIS HAPPENING IN KOSOVO NOW.

THE U-N-H-C-R SPOKESMAN SAYS THIS INCIDENT VIOLATES AN AGREEMENT BETWEEN SERBIAN AUTHORITIES AND THE RUSSIAN GOVERNMENT TO GIVE FREE ACCESS TO HUMANITARIAN AGENCIES OPERATING IN KOSOVO. MR. JANOWSKI SAYS THESE GUARANTEES WERE RE-AFFIRMED WITH THE ASSISTANT HEAD OF THE REFUGEE AGENCY DURING A VISIT LAST WEEK TO BELGRADE AND PRISTINA. (SIGNED)
NEB/LS/JWH
27-Aug-98 11:52 AM EDT (1552 UTC)
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Source: Voice of America

[02] EURO STOCKS (S ONLY) BY JACK HUIZENGA (LONDON)

INTRO: STOCK PRICES FELL SHARPLY IN TRADING THURSDAY IN EUROPE. V-O-A'S JACK HUIZENGA HAS THE CLOSING MARKET REPORT FROM LONDON.

TEXT: THE EUROPEAN EXCHANGES ALL CLOSED DOWN SHARPLY. SOME INVESTORS -- ESPECIALLY IN EASTERN EUROPE -- SEEMED TO PANIC IN THE WAKE OF RUSSIA'S FINANCIAL CRISIS. IN WESTERN EUROPE, THERE WAS AN ABSENCE OF BUYERS AND TRADING WAS LIGHT.

AMONG THE MAJOR MARKETS, THE BIGGEST DROP WAS IN FRANKFURT. THE DAX INDEX CLOSED DOWN 235 POINTS, FOUR-AND-ONE-HALF PERCENT. IN PARIS, THE CAC-40 INDEX WAS OFF 168-POINTS, FOUR-AND-ONE-QUARTER PERCENT. IN LONDON, THE FOOTSIE-100 INDEX FELL 177-POINTS, THREE-AND-TWO-TENTHS PERCENT.

ON THE LONDON CURRENCY EXCHANGE, THE VALUE OF THE U-S DOLLAR WAS DOWN AGAINST THE GERMAN MARK, THE BRITISH POUND, AND THE JAPANESE YEN. (SIGNED)
NEB/JWH/RAE
27-Aug-98 1:48 PM EDT (1748 UTC)
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Source: Voice of America

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

INTRO: STOCK PRICES IN THE UNITED STATES WERE DOWN SHARPLY TODAY (THURSDAY) ON CONTINUED CONCERN ABOUT DEVELOPMENTS IN RUSSIA. V-O-A'S CORRESPONDENT BRECK ARDERY REPORTS FROM NEW YORK.

TEXT: THE DOW JONES INDUSTRIAL AVERAGE CLOSED AT 81 HUNDRED 65, DOWN 357 POINTS OR MORE THAN FOUR PERCENT. THE STANDARD AND POOR'S 500 INDEX CLOSED AT ONE THOUSAND 42, DOWN 41 POINTS. VOLUME ON THE NEW YORK STOCK EXCHANGE WAS 940 MILLION SHARES, THE SECOND LARGEST IN HISTORY.

THE FACT THAT THE INDUSTRIAL AVERAGE CLOSED BELOW 82 HUNDRED IS SEEN AS AN OMINOUS SIGN BY SOME TECHNICAL ANALYSTS WHO SAY IT MEANS MORE HEAVY SELLING IS PROBABLY AHEAD.

THE U-S STOCK MARKET FOLLOWED OTHER WORLD MARKETS DOWN ON CONTINUED WORRY ABOUT THE ECONOMIC AND POLITICAL SITUATION IN RUSSIA. IN ADDITION TO THE COLLAPSE OF THE RUBLE, THERE WERE REPORTS OF GROWING PRESSURE ON RUSSIAN PRESIDENT YELTSIN TO RESIGN.

ALTHOUGH MOST AMERICAN COMPANIES DO NOT HAVE A LARGE EXPOSURE IN RUSSIA, THE REPUBLIC BANK OF NEW YORK DOES. REPUBLIC SAYS THE FINANCIAL CRISIS IN RUSSIA WILL WIPE OUT ALL OF THE BANK'S THIRD QUARTER PROFITS.

DESPITE THE STRONG SELLING PRESSURE AND HEAVY VOLUME, TED WEISBERG OF THE SEAPORT SECURITIES FIRM, SAYS THERE WAS NO SENSE OF PANIC AT THE NEW YORK STOCK EXCHANGE.

I WOULD NOT SAY WE HAVE ANY PANIC, BUT CLEARLY YOU HAVE A LOT OF PEOPLE TRYING TO RAISE CASH AND MOVE TO THE SIDELINES AND OF COURSE THAT IS REFLECTED IN THE AVERAGES.

MUCH OF THE MONEY COMING OUT OF STOCKS MOVED TO THE U-S TREASURY DEBT MARKET. THE RISE IN BOND PRICES LED THE BENCHMARK 30-YEAR U-S GOVERNMENT BOND TO AN ALL-TIME LOW YIELD LEVEL OF FIVE POINT THREE PERCENT.

IN BUSINESS NEWS, THE BERG ELECTRONICS COMPANY OF THE UNITED STATES SAYS IT HAS AGREED TO BE ACQUIRED BY THE FRAMATONE COMPANY OF FRANCE IN A DEAL WORTH ALMOST ONE POINT NINE BILLION DOLLARS. BOTH FIRMS PRODUCE ELECTRONIC CONNECTION DEVICES.

THE C-B-S BROADCASTING COMPANY WILL SPIN-OFF MOST OF ITS RADIO AND OUTDOOR ADVERTISING OPERATIONS INTO A SEPARATE FIRM. C-B-S WILL ALSO REDUCE COSTS AT ITS TELEVISION NETWORK BUT IS NOT YET SAYING HOW MANY JOBS MAY BE ELIMINATED.

THE CHANCELLOR MEDIA CORPORATION WILL MOVE IN FRONT OF C-B-S AS THE LARGEST RADIO BROADCASTER IN THE UNITED STATES WITH CHANCELLOR'S FOUR POINT ONE BILLION DOLLAR ACQUISITION OF THE CAPSTAR BROADCASTING COMPANY. THE COMBINED FIRM WILL OWN 463 RADIO STATIONS IN THE UNITED STATES.

THE STARWOOD HOTELS AND RESORTS COMPANY IS CHANGING ITS STATUS FROM A REAL ESTATE INVESTMENT TRUST TO AN OPERATING CORPORATION. STARWOOD SAYS THE CHANGE, WHICH WILL RESULT IN A ONE POINT TWO BILLION DOLLAR CHARGE, WAS SPARKED BY A MODIFICATION OF U-S TAX REGULATIONS.(SIGNED) NEB/NY/BA/LSF/WDC/PT
27-Aug-98 5:16 PM EDT (2116 UTC)
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Source: Voice of America

[04] THURSDAY'S EDITORIALS BY RALPH A. ECKHARDT (WASHINGTON)

INTRO: FIGHTING TERRORISM, ASSASSINATION PLOTS, AND AN INVESTIGATION OF THE VICE PRESIDENT ARE AMONG THE STORIES DRAWING EDITORIAL COMMENT FROM THE COUNTRY'S DAILY NEWSPAPERS. NOW, HERE IS _____________ WITH A CLOSER LOOK AND SOME QUOTES IN TODAY'S EDITORIAL DIGEST.

TEXT: THE "BOSTON GLOBE" SAYS IT SUPPORTS THE BRITISH AND AMERICAN COMPROMISE OFFER TO ALLOW TRIAL OF THE TWO LIBYANS ACCUSED OF BOMBING PAN AM FLIGHT 103 TO STAND TRIAL IN THE NETHERLANDS. THE "GLOBE" CALLS THE OFFER "A WORTHWHILE ATTEMPT TO ANSWER LAWLESSNESS ... WITH THE ACCOUNTABILITY OF OF THE ANGLO-AMERICAN LEGAL SYSTEM."

VOICE: IN THE ABSENCE OF AN ACCEPTED LEGAL STRUCTURE, RETALIATORY ACTIONS LIKE THOSE THE UNITED STATES TOOK LAST WEEK AGAINST SUDANESE AND AFGHAN TARGETS ARE NECESSARILY INEVITABLE. BUT IN THE NEARLY 10-YEARS SINCE THE LOCKERBIE BOMBING, INTERNATIONAL INVESTIGATIONS HAVE DEVELOPED A STRONG CASE AGAINST THE TWO [ACCUSED LOCKERBIE BOMBERS] ... AND BRINGING THEM TO JUSTICE IN THE NETHERLANDS SETS A POWERFUL PRECEDENT FOR DEALING WITH INTERNATIONAL OUTLAWS WITHOUT ESCALATING VIOLENCE

TEXT: THE "ORLANDO SENTINEL" IN FLORIDA SAYS THE CLINTON ADMINISTRATION ACTED APPROPRIATELY IN ORDERING THE QUICK MISSILE STRIKES AGAINST PRESUMED TERRORIST TARGETS IN AFGHANISTAN AND SUDAN. THE NEWSPAPER SAYS THE UNITED STATES WAS FORCED TO ACT IN THE FACE OF MOUNTING EVIDENCE.

VOICE: U-S OFFICIALS SAID ... A MANMADE CHEMICAL HAD BEEN FOUND OUTSIDE THE PURPORTED PHARMACEUTICAL PLANT ... DESTROYED BY U-S CRUISE MISSILES. THAT CHEMICAL HAS NO APPLICATION OTHER THAN TO PRODUCE DEADLY V-X NERVE GAS. IN ADDITION, U-S OFFICIALS SAID THEY INTERCEPTED TELEPHONE CALLS LINKING ... THE PLANT ... TO A VARIETY OF TERRORIST GROUPS. ONE WAS ... OSAMA BIN LADEN'S ORGANIZATION, BELIEVED TO BE BEHIND THE EMBASSY BOMBINGS [IN KENYA AND TANZANIA]. THAT ... POINTS TO THE NEED FOR A MORE AGGRESSIVE RESPONSE BY THE UNITED STATES. MILITARY RESPONSES SHOULD NOT BECOME ROUTINE, BUT THEY SHOULD BE PART OF A MULTIFACETED ARSENAL THE UNITED STATES USES TO KEEP TERRORISTS AT BAY.

TEXT: ON A DIFFERENT MATTER, "THE MIAMI HERALD" SAYS IT UNDERSTANDS THE FRUSTRATION OF SEVEN CUBAN AMERICANS INDICTED IN PUERTO RICO FOR PLOTTING TO ASSASSINATE CUBAN LEADER FIDEL CASTRO, BUT SAYS VIOLENCE WOULD BE THE WRONG WAY TO FREE CUBA.

VOICE: A GROWING NUMBER [OF CUBAN EXILES] CHOOSE THE COMMENDABLE PATH OF RECONCILIATION. ... OTHER EXILES QUIETLY HAVE ESTABLISHED TIES WITH ACADEMICS, MUSICIANS, ARTISTS AND OTHER CUBANS FROM THE ISLAND. WHAT BETTER EXAMPLE OF FREE SPEECH AND DEMOCRACY THAN RESPECTFUL EXCHANGE OF IDEAS, LEGAL LOBBYING, AND PEACEFUL PROTEST? ... YOU CAN WIN OVER HEARTS AND MINDS ONE-ON-ONE, SOMETHING THAT BOMB THREATS AND MURDER PLOTS WILL NEVER ACCOMPLISH.

TEXT: THE "PORTLAND (OREGON) PRESS HERALD" AGREES, SAYING FIDEL CASTRO IMPEDES HIS COUNTRY'S PROGRESS WHILE HIS MARXIST IDEOLOGY "HAS BEEN EXPOSED FOR THE FOOLISH AND HARMFUL DELUSION IT IS". THE NEWSPAPER SAYS:

VOICE: THOSE CUBAN EXILES CHARGED WITH PLANNING HIS ASSASSINATION SHOULD NOT HAVE RESORTED TO PLOTTING VIOLENCE AGAINST HIM. SOON ENOUGH HE WILL BE GONE. ... THAT WILL BE THE TIME WHEN CUBA HAS ITS CHANCE TO BE THE NATION IT COULD HAVE BEEN -- FREE, PROSPEROUS AND INDEPENDENT -- HAD HE BEEN THE TRUE REVOLUTIONARY HE PROMISED TO BE, RATHER THAN THE POWER-HUNGRY, VICIOUS MEGALOMANIAC HE ACTUALLY WAS.

TEXT: IN ADDITION, THE PORTLAND NEWSPAPER SAYS IT WELCOMES ATTORNEY GENERAL JANET RENO'S DECISION TO CONDUCT A REVIEW OF THE INVESTIGATION INTO THE ASSASSINATION OF MARTIN LUTHER KING, JUNIOR, 30-YEARS AGO.

VOICE: (MS.) RENO'S DECISION STANDS AS A GOOD ONE BASED ON THE EVIDENCE NOW AVAILABLE. ... AND [SHE] SHOULD NOT HESITATE TO APPOINT AN INDEPENDENT INVESTIGATOR IF THE NEW EVIDENCE CANNOT BE EXPLAINED OR IF MORE INCONSISTENCIES COME TO LIGHT.

TEXT: "THE NEW YORK TIMES" APPLAUDS MS. RENO FOR HER DECISION TO LAUNCH A PRELIMINARY INQUIRY INTO VICE PRESIDENT GORE'S TELEPHONE SOLICITATIONS FOR CAMPAIGN FUNDS. BUT THE NEWSPAPER SAYS THE ATTORNEY GENERAL HAS BEEN TARDY IN APPOINTING AN INDEPENDENT COUNSEL TO INVESTIGATE WHITE HOUSE FUND-RAISING DURING THE 1996 ELECTION CAMPAIGN.

VOICE ONLY A MIND-READER COULD KNOW WHY MS. RENO THINKS MR. GORE'S TELEPHONE CALLS LOOM AS A GREATER THREAT TO THE DEMOCRATIC PROCESS THAN MILLIONS IN ILLEGAL FOREIGN CONTRIBUTIONS, MISUSE OF WHITE HOUSE INVITATIONS, EVASION OF THE FEDERAL ELECTION CAMPAIGN ACT AND POSSIBLE MEDDLING BY ANOTHER NATION IN A PRESIDENTIAL CAMPAIGN.

TEXT: THAT CONCLUDES TODAY'S SAMPLING OF EDITORIAL COMMENT FROM U-S DAILY PAPERS.
NEB/RAE/MMK
27-Aug-98 12:20 PM EDT (1620 UTC)
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Source: Voice of America

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