Voice of America, 99-08-23

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

CONTENTS

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

[02] KOSOVO - WAR CRIMES (L-ONLY) BY TIM BELAY (PRISTINA)

[03] SERBIA POVERTY (L-ONLY) BY BARRY WOOD (WASHINGTON)

[04] TURKEY/EARTHQUAKE ONITER (S/L) BY LAURIE KASSMAN (IZMIT)

[05] QUAKE - GOLCUK BY LAURIE KASSMAN (GOLCUK, TURKEY)

[06] QUAKE / GOLCUK (UPDATE) BY LAURIE KASSMAN (GOLCUK, TURKEY)

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

[08] DAGESTAN SITREP (L ONLY) BY PETER HEINLEIN (MOSCOW)

[09] DAGESTAN SITREP UPDATE (L) BY PETER HEINLEIN (MOSCOW)

[10] DAGESTAN WRAP (L-ONLY) BY PETER HEINLEIN (MOSCOW)

[11] SWISS SCANDAL (L-ONLY) BY LISA SCHLEIN (GENEVA)

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

[13] MONDAY EDITORIALS BY ANDREW GUTHRIE (WASHINGTON)

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

INTRO: United Nations International Police Officers are beginning to take over law enforcement responsibilities in Kosovo. Tim Belay reports from Pristina on how the U-N is working to replace NATO as the police power there.

TEXT: A spokesman for the United Nations Police Force in Kosovo, Bruce Lloy, says there are already over 850 volunteer U-N police officers in the province. For now, they are deployed only in the capital Pristina, but Mr. Lloy says they plan to begin working in other areas of the province in the coming weeks. A big part of the change is the transfer of what are called executive powers -- from NATO-led peacekeepers to the U-N police. The powers include the ability to conduct searches and to arrest people. The official date for the transition from NATO to U-N police control in Kosovo has not been announced. Mr. Lloy says the change will be gradual.

[02] KOSOVO - WAR CRIMES (L-ONLY) BY TIM BELAY (PRISTINA)

INTRO: The United Nations says the arrest late last week of three ethnic Serbs in the southern Kosovo city of Orahovac may help international war crimes investigators in their case against P-resident Slobodan Milosevic. Tim Belay has details in this report from Pristina.

TEXT: A preliminary hearing by a local court involving the three began on Monday. All are being held on suspicion of committing war crimes. A spokesman for the U-B Mission in Kosovo, Nadia Younes, says evidence gathered by newly arrived U-N police is mounting quickly.

[03] SERBIA POVERTY (L-ONLY) BY BARRY WOOD (WASHINGTON)

INTRO: A new report by the Economist Intelligence Unit in London suggests that Yugoslavia's economy suffered 60 billion dollars of damage during the 11 week Nato bombardment and that its economy this year will have shrunk by some 40 percent. V-O-A's Barry Wood reports the Economist Intelligence Unit believes Serbia may now be the poorest country in Europe.

TEXT: The Economist Intelligence Unit says the economy of Montenegro and Serbia is now only 30 percent as big as it was in 1989. The 60 billion dollar figure of war related damage is twice as big as the projection made earlier by independent economists in Belgrade. The London analysts say the most significant damage is destruction of bridges, highways, power stations, and factories. The Economist Intelligence Unit says per capita incomes in Yugoslavia are now smaller than in Albania, the country usually thought of as the poorest in Europe. But economist Paul Tibbet at the Planecon organization in Washington says the average Yugoslav probably still lives better than the average Albanian.

[04] TURKEY/EARTHQUAKE ONITER (S/L) BY LAURIE KASSMAN (IZMIT)

INTRO: Heavy rains across western Turkey are complicating relief efforts for victims of Tuesday's devastating earthquake. As relief efforts concentrate on shelter, food and clothing for the survivors, rescue teams continue their work even though the chances of finding anyone still alive in the wreckage are diminishing by the hour. Correspondent Laurie Kassman has the latest from Izmit.

TEXT: Sporadic rain showers are turning the makeshift tent camps set up by survivors into mud-fields. But the clouds and cool breeze were welcome relief after a week of searing temperatures. Turkish and international relief efforts now are focussed on providing shelter, food and clean drinking water to the survivors of Tuesday's quake. Foreign aid groups are trying to assess the situation to see how best they can help. One French businessman who had planned to open a branch of his supermarket chain in Izmit has put up large tents on the grounds of the University Hospital. They will accommodate hospital patients and staff evacuated from the building, which now leans precariously.

[05] QUAKE - GOLCUK BY LAURIE KASSMAN (GOLCUK, TURKEY)

INTRO: Text of on-scene report by V-O-A Correspondent Laurie Kassman in the earthquake-devastated town of Goluck, Turkey, where some rescue crews continue the frantic search for survivors -- six days after the huge quake.

TEXT: I am standing on a pile of rubble which was once a multi-story apartment building. We have Malaysian and Turkish rescue crews here. They heard some tapping, they thought they had signs of live. They have not heard anything in the past eight hours. But they have not given up hope. They are carefully digging. They think there may be a family of four -- still alive, hopefully -- trapped under the rubble. And they are using their bare hands and shovels to clear away. And the Malaysian teams are lowering down a very sensitive listening device. Now, about eight hours ago, they did think they heard some scraping or some tapping noises underneath. And they are continuing to work. Six days after the earthquake, chances are slim to find survivors. But there have been miracles in the past. And the Malaysian crew says they are not giving up hope. They are going to stay at it. 23-Aug-1999 05:25 AM EDT (23-Aug-1999 0925 UTC)
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Source: Voice of America

[06] QUAKE / GOLCUK (UPDATE) BY LAURIE KASSMAN (GOLCUK, TURKEY)

INTRO: Text of on-scene report by V-O-A Correspondent Laurie Kassman in the earthquake-devastated town of Goluck, Turkey, where some rescue crews continued the frantic search for survivors -- six days after the huge quake.

TEXT: The Malaysian rescue crews have been working, hoping against hope, that they could find a family of four reported to be still alive. They haven't heard signs of life for more than eight hours, now. A French crew arrived just a few minutes ago, with an even more sensitive listening device to see if they could hear anything -- a scratch on a piece of concrete, even a heartbeat. For ten precious minutes everybody was standing perfectly still -- nobody moved -- so as to not make any sound on the ground, so they could try to hear something from underneath this rubble of a multi-story building. But after about ten minutes, a French crewmember looked up to the Malaysian colleague and shook his head. He said, "No." He was not hearing anything. And he turned to us and said, "Frankly, I just smell the smell of death." But the Malaysian crew brought in a sniffer dog just hoping against hope they might hear or smell something that would give them an indication. But now, some people have arrived with body bags and they are moving up to the top of the pile of rubble, and a bulldozer is clearing it away to see if they can get closer to pull the bodies out.
NEB/LMK/JWH/PLM 23-Aug-1999 05:48 AM EDT (23-Aug-1999 0948 UTC)
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Source: Voice of America

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

INTRO: The United Nations says the search and rescue operation in Turkey is coming to an end and is shifting to what it calls the acute emergency phase. But the United Nations has not entirely given up on finding a few, what it calls "miracle survivors" from the devastating earthquake. More from Lisa Schlein in Geneva.

TEXT: Tens of thousands of people are believed still buried under the rubble following last Tuesday's earthquake. A top United Nations Disaster Relief Official, Sergio Piazzi, says the United Nations is preparing for the worst. He says the Turkish government has asked the U-N to help find 45-thousand body bags. Although the search and rescue mission is winding down, Mr. Piazzi says there is still hope of finding a few people alive.

[08] DAGESTAN SITREP (L ONLY) BY PETER HEINLEIN (MOSCOW)

INTRO: Muslim insurgents say they have withdrawn from some positions in Russia's Dagestan Republic, but government air and ground forces continue to pound several villages in the region. Correspondent Peter Heinlein reports from Moscow.

TEXT: Russian military officials said jets were carrying out scores of air strikes on suspected rebel positions in the mountains of western Dagestan, along the border with breakaway Chechnya. The officials say the insurgents are suffering heavy losses, and are completely encircled by government troops who have sealed off all escape routes. In Moscow, President Boris Yeltsin met Dagestan's leader, Magomedali Magomedov. Russian television showed Mr. Yeltsin promising swift action to crush the insurgency.

INTRO: Muslim rebels in southern Russia say they have retreated from several villages they have been holding during a two-week standoff with government troops in Dagestan. But Correspondent Peter Heinlein reports the government is continuing its attacks on the villages.

TEXT: The Chechen-led rebels issued a statement Monday saying they had withdrawn all their fighters from villages in the mountains of Dagestan. The statement, posted on the Internet, said the retreat had been completed before dawn. A spokesman for the insurgents described the withdrawal as a redeployment, but refused to say whether the fighters had crossed into breakaway Chechnya. But Russian military officials say at least 100-rebels remain trapped in the village of Tando, the center of fighting during the two-week conflict. A Defense Ministry spokesman in the Dagestani capital, Makhachkala, was quoted as calling the rebel statement a blatant lie. He said all exit routes from the villages are sealed, and attacks on rebel positions would continue.

[10] DAGESTAN WRAP (L-ONLY) BY PETER HEINLEIN (MOSCOW)

INTRO: Russian troops say they have captured a strategic mountain village held for two weeks by Muslim insurgents in the southern region of Dagestan. VOA's Peter Heinlein in Moscow reports the capture came hours after the rebels announced they had withdrawn from the region.

TEXT: Russia's defense ministry says its forces late Monday wrested control ofthe Dagestani village of Tando from Islamic separatists who seized it early this month. The capture of Tando came after days of furious air and ground attacks against suspected rebel targets in the region. But the government report was called into question by a rebel statement hours earlier announcing that all separatist fighters had withdrawn from Tando Sunday night. The statement, posted on the internet, said the rebel commander, renegade Chechen warlord Shamil Basayev, had ordered what was called a "redeployment" of forces to other positions. The insurgents' statement seemed to catch Russia's military establishment by surprise. At first, government spokesman described the withdrawal claim as "lies and disinformation", citing field reports saying the rebels were trapped and all exits leading out of Tando were sealed. Russia's main evening television news bulletins made no mention of the withdrawal claim. But a short time later, the defense ministry issued a statement saying government troops had taken control of Tando. The statement did not explain what had happened to the rebels. There was no independent confirmation of any of the reports from Dagestan. Western journalists have been discouraged from going to the region because of the threat of kidnapping. But if the conflict in the mountains of Dagestan is over, it could mark a triumph for Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin. On August 10th, days after he was appointed, Mr. Putin predicted the insurgents would be driven out of Dagestan in two weeks. That deadline expires Tuesday. (signed)
NEB/PFH/PT 23-Aug-1999 18:41 PM LOC (23-Aug-1999 2241 UTC)
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Source: Voice of America

[11] SWISS SCANDAL (L-ONLY) BY LISA SCHLEIN (GENEVA)

INTRO: Switzerland's main political parties are urging a government investigation into a widening scandal involving the army's secret service. Lisa Schlein in Geneva reports the affair involves alleged fraud of millions of dollars, the illegal sale of arms and links to organized crime.

TEXT: Switzerland's main political parties are calling for a parliamentary inquiry to find the truth behind a scandal that has all the elements of a spy thriller. The country's Defense Minister, Adolf Ogi, says an investigation is already underway, examining possible links to organized crime and illegal arms trafficking. So far, the Chief of the Secret Service has been suspended and the man at the center of the scandal, Dino Bellasi, is behind bars. Mr. Bellasi, a former Defense Ministry Official who acted as senior accountant for military intelligence, was arrested more than a week ago. He is suspected of having used forged invoices to get an advance from Switzerland's central bank of nearly six million dollars. The money was supposed to have gone to pay for troop movements that did not take place. Switzerland's Attorney General is also looking into accusations that the country's intelligence service has been smuggling and selling arms to criminal organizations. The head of the intelligence service and various members within the defense ministry are accused of trying to create a secret army. A large secret cache of arms was discovered near the capital Bern. A Swiss newspaper alleges that Mr. Bellasi was in contact with former agents of the Israeli, American and German secret services. Meanwhile, Switzerland's Attorney General's Office says it is widening its probe and is investigating others possibly involved in the scandal or who may shed additional light on it. (Signed)
NEB/LS/PCF/KL 23-Aug-1999 13:12 PM EDT (23-Aug-1999 1712 UTC)
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Source: Voice of America

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

INTRO: Stock prices in the United States were up strongly today (Monday) with the Dow Jones Industrial Average closing at a record high. VOA Business Correspondent Breck Ardery reports from New York.

TEXT: The Dow Jones Industrial Average closed up 199 points, or almost two percent, at 11-thousand-299, beating the previous record of 11-thousand 209 which was set on July 16th. The Standard and Poor's 500 index closed at 13-hundred-59 up 23 points. The NASDAQ index gained almost three percent. Analysts say it seemed like a "relief rally" before the event. The event is Tuesday's meeting of U-S central bank governors at which they will decide whether to raise short-term interest rates to head off inflation. The overwhelming opinion on Wall Street is that the central bank will raise rates by one-quarter percent but there is also a growing consensus that it will probably be the last interest rate increase this year.

[13] MONDAY EDITORIALS BY ANDREW GUTHRIE (WASHINGTON)

INTRO: Yet another plea for aid for the Turkish earthquake victims appears in a major editorial page this Monday. Other topics under discussion include the possibility that George W. Bush used illegal drugs and how he should answer that question. Also, changing the political situation in Serbia: dealing with the scourge of AIDS in Africa, and continued worries about Russia's economy.

TEXT: On New York's Long Island, "Newsday" is urging residents to send money to benefit the victims of last week's huge earthquake in Turkey, noting:

VOICE: All great natural catastrophes are humbling to humans; we call them acts of God because their magnitude is so far beyond our everyday experience, maybe even past our comprehension. But among these cataclysms -- tornadoes, hurricanes, tsunamis, avalanches -- perhaps the most terrifying are earthquakes: What refuge can you find when the very ground trembles under your feet? A violent quake like the one that struck in Turkey last week is simply overwhelming. . Trained rescue workers quickly responded after the killer quake, of course, and their work is likely to go on for weeks. But others can help too, even those of us who may never get any closer to Turkey than the pictures of devastation we have seen this past week on the front page or the TV screen. More than a dozen charitable agencies are accepting contributions to help Turkish earthquake victims. . Readers, who want to write a check immediately, before the press of daily life pushes Turkey's disaster out of mind, might send their contributions to the American Red Cross.

TEXT: Domestically one of the popular items drawing commentary is the question of possible illegal-drug use by Republican presidential candidate George W. Bush, the Governor of Texas. Mr. Bush has given only partial answers to the question of youthful cocaine use, prompting the national daily "U-S-A Today", published in the Washington, D-C suburbs, to suggest:

VOICE: If his offense is trivial, why hide it? Voters have shown little inclination to punish candidates for youthful drug use, at least in the case of marijuana. And it is substantive, why should those voters be denied the facts? For the moment at least, [Mr.] Bush's silence is playing well with a public fed up with the distasteful intrusions of the Clinton scandal. . But Bush takes a large risk in assuming that opinion will last -- or that he can maintain his resolve to deflect personal questions on the campaign trail. /// OPT /// . Like it or not, these questions will continue. And they are likely to act as a millstone around the neck of [Mr.] Bush's campaign until he answers them clearly and unequivocally. /// END OPTS ///

TEXT: "The Atlanta [Georgia] Journal" pretty much agrees with "USA Today", that the candidate must deal decisively with the issue.

VOICE: It is hot-seat time for George W. Bush. Does the candidate whose father was asked casually by the press if he was having an affair really expect a free ride amid rumors of a wild youth that may have included cocaine use? We trust the candidate is not so naive, nor the campaign so inept to think the matter can be quietly dismissed.

TEXT: Looking overseas to the turbulent politics of Serbia, and this observation about change from Boston's "Christian Science Monitor".

VOICE: Slobodan Milosevic had to feel the political ground shifting last week as tens-of- thousands of protesters took to the streets in Belgrade to call for his resignation. His policies have hastened the disintegration of former Yugoslavia and caused untold suffering. But can the opposition muster the unified action needed to bring him down? . Serbia's greatest hope is that most of its people have seen through a bogus, brutal nationalism and want genuine reform. . The goal is not a "greater Serbia," but a Serbia that is fit to claim its rightful place in the community of nations.

TEXT: A dispute about how to get very expensive anti- AIDS drugs to poor Africans who cannot afford them is occupying "The New York Times".

VOICE: The average African nation spends less than 10-dollars per person each year on health care. The mix of drugs, including the new protease inhibitors, necessary to turn AIDS from a death sentence into a chronic disease costs at least 12-thousand-dollars per person each year. That disparity virtually guarantees that most of the 22-million Africans infected with the AIDS virus will not get the best available treatment. . Washington is now arguing with South Africa about a new law in that country that could allow South Africa to make cheap versions of still- patented drugs or import them at less than the manufacturers want to charge. . the Administration's policy . has been dominated by trade issues and the desire to protect American pharmaceutical patents. Washington should stop pressuring South Africa to change the law, but even then far more will need to be done to get lifesaving medicines to poor Africans with AIDS.

TEXT: In the Pacific, new political unrest in the Philippines, draws this concerned reaction from Sunday's "Honolulu [Hawaii] Star-Bulletin".

VOICE: The ghost of Ferdinand Marcos hovers over Philippine politics. Fear that the dictatorship imposed by [Mr.] Marcos could be restored provoked resistance to an attempt by former President Fidel Ramos to amend the nation's constitution. Now much the same is happening to President Joseph Estrada. Tens-of- thousands marched Friday in Manila and other cities in opposition to [Mr.] Estrada's proposal to call a constitutional convention. The president says he wants to remove restrictions on foreign investment, but his critics charge that his real intention is to abolish the current limit of one six-year presidential term so he can run again. . the nation's bitter experience with [Mr.] Marcos, who declared martial law in 1972 on the pretext of a communist revolt and established a dictatorship, has made many Filipinos suspicious of any attempt to amend the post-Marcos constitution.

TEXT: Turning to the other side of the world, and the latest crisis facing Russia, we get these thoughts on the revolt in Dagestan from "The Washington Post".

VOICE: The challenge of a few thousand Muslim separatist guerrillas in the southern Russian province of Dagestan once again raises the question of whether Russia can hold together. The empire controlled from Moscow has been shrinking for a decade. With the collapse of the Berlin Wall in 1989, the captive nations of Central and Eastern Europe slipped their bonds. With the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991, Russia suddenly had 14 new neighbors and far less territory. Moscow relinquished effective control of its southern province of Chechnya after losing a war with that breakaway republic in 1994 and 1995. Has Russia (still the world's-largest country) now shrunk to its "natural" borders or is further unraveling in the cards? . The answer to the central question . does not lie in Dagestan's mountains as much as in Moscow itself. If Russia can put its economic reform on track and protect its fragile democratic institutions, most Russians will want to remain just that -- Russian. If the economy spirals downward and corruption becomes a permanent fixture, Dagestan may seem a few years from now to have been nothing but a harbinger.

TEXT: On that note, we conclude this sampling of comment from the editorial pages of Monday's U-S press.
NEB/AG/RAE 23-Aug-1999 13:12 PM LOC (23-Aug-1999 1712 UTC)
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Source: Voice of America

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