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Voice of America, 00-08-15
CONTENTS
[01] CLINTON-BALKANS (L-ONLY) BY DAVID GOLLUST (LOS ANGELES)
[02] DUTCH / YUGOSLAVIA (L ONLY) BY STEFAN BOS (BUDAPEST)
[03] U-N-BOSNIA (L ONLY) BY BRECK ARDERY (UNITED NATIONS)
[04] NEW YORK ECON WRAP (S&L) BY BARBARA SCHOETZAU (NEW YORK)
[01] CLINTON-BALKANS (L-ONLY) BY DAVID GOLLUST (LOS ANGELES)
DATE=8/14/2000
TYPE=CORRESPONDENT REPORT
NUMBER=2-265464
CONTENT=
VOICED AT:
INTRO: President Clinton - speaking in Los Angeles in
advance of his Democratic convention address -
defended his administration's record on foreign policy
including his decision to send U-S troops to Bosnia
and Kosovo. VOA's David Gollust has details from Los
Angeles.
TEXT: The administration's Balkans policy has been an
early campaign issue, with Republicans including
Presidential nominee George W. Bush criticizing Mr.
Clinton and by extension Vice President Gore for
making open-ended commitments of U-S troops without a
clear exit strategy.
In an address here to the National Democratic
Institute - a party-affiliated policy study group --
Mr. Clinton said the alternative to allied action
would have been wider ethnic chaos in Central Europe:
///CLINTON ACTUALITY///
If the cause of freedom had been lost in those
countries and the principle of ethnic cleansing
had been upheld, we would be paying for it along
with free people across the world for a very,
very long time (applause).
///END ACT///
Mr. Clinton said that with Kosovo holding its first
free elections later this year, the only vestige of
the Balkans undemocratic past is Serbia.
There, he said the United States is encouraging
opposition elements to mount a unified challenge to
Yugoslav President Slobodan Milosevic despite the
evident shortcomings of the election process in that
country:
///CLINTON ACT TWO///
Even if he steals the coming Presidential
election - he undoubtedly will try to do that -
he will lose what legitimacy he has left with
the Serbian people. But whatever may happen, he
has utterly failed to build a greater Serbia
based on ethnic cleansing and exclusion.
///END ACT///
In an address that mentioned neither the Vice
President or Mr. Bush by name, Mr. Clinton said he
hoped his successor - whoever he is - will continue
effort to battle poverty and AIDS in Africa.
Mr. Clinton - who visits Nigeria next week - cast that
country and its transition to democracy as a key to
broader peace and economic development on the
continent:
///CLINTON ACT THREE///
If democracy takes root in Nigeria, it will lift
up an entire region. So we'll do our part to
help with trade and investment, support for
Nigeria's peacekeepers, and its efforts to
insure that the vast wealth it has accumulated
and squandered in the past finally benefits its
people.
///END ACT///
The President said he was grateful for bipartisan
support in Congress on emergency aid to Colombia -
which he also visits later this month -- as well as
for permanent normal trade relations with China, and
measures to lower trade barriers to goods from
impoverished states in Africa and the Caribbean.
(Signed)
NEB/DAG/KBK
14-Aug-2000 21:14 PM EDT (15-Aug-2000 0114 UTC)
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Source: Voice of America
[02] DUTCH / YUGOSLAVIA (L ONLY) BY STEFAN BOS (BUDAPEST)
DATE=8/15/2000
TYPE=CORRESPONDENT REPORT
NUMBER=2-265500
CONTENT=
VOICED AT:
INTRO: Dutch diplomats in Belgrade have expressed
concern about the medical condition of four Dutch
citizens who are being held on suspicion of plotting
to kidnap or kill Yugoslavia's President Slobodan
Milosevic. Stefan Bos in Budapest reports the
diplomats spoke after they were granted access to the
prisoners for the first time.
TEXT: The four Dutch men were arrested nearly one
month ago. But Dutch diplomats were not permitted
access to them until Tuesday.
After four hours of talks, the top Dutch diplomat in
Belgrade, Kees Klompenhouwer, told reporters that the
four Dutch citizens had gone through a difficult
experience since they were arrested.
/// KLOMPENHOUWER ACT ///
They have been going trough a difficult time.
Their present situation is reasonably well. But
this needs to be followed up. In particular,
their medical condition will need close
attention, and of course, the development of the
legal procedure itself.
/// END ACT ///
Lawyer Zoran Jovanovic, who represents three of the
four men, was not allowed direct contact with his
clients until Tuesday. In an interview, Mr. Jovanovic
said his clients may have been forced into videotaped
confessions that were broadcast on Yugoslav
television. In those statements, the men said they
entered Yugoslavia to kidnap or kill President
Slobodan Milosevic.
Mr. Jovanovic said that based on his experience with
earlier clients, he did not rule out the possibility
that physical force was used to make sure the four men
made the statements.
/// JOVANOVIC ACT ///
It is possible. In my job I was in situations
where I could hear from my clients, and they
even said it in a trial, that they were beaten
by the police (into a confession) or something
like this
/// END ACT ///
Yugoslav Information Minister Goran Matic said the
videotape proves that the men were sent by Western
intelligence agencies that want to make a present of
what he called a "Serbian head" to the United States.
Both the Dutch government and the United Nations war
crimes tribunal in The Hague have denied any links to
the four. In addition, lawyer Jovanovic said he does
not believe the videotape could be used as evidence
in court.
On Tuesday, the four Dutch citizens faced their first
pre-trial court hearing. Although Mr. Jovanovic said
the defense's case is strong, he expressed doubts if
the four would be home by Christmas.
Critics of President Slobodan Milosevic have accused
the Yugoslav leader of using the case as part of a
propaganda campaign ahead of next month's elections.
(Signed)
NEB/SB/JWH/JP
15-Aug-2000 13:20 PM LOC (15-Aug-2000 1720 UTC)
NNNN
Source: Voice of America
[03] U-N-BOSNIA (L ONLY) BY BRECK ARDERY (UNITED NATIONS)
DATE=8/15/2000
TYPE=CORRESPONDENT REPORT
NUMBER=2-265514
CONTENT=
INTRO: A top U-N official said today (Tuesday) that
steady progress is being made in creating a multi-
ethnic police force in Bosnia. VOA Correspondent Breck
Ardery reports from the United Nations.
TEXT: Bernard Miyet,the Assistant U-N Secretary-
General for Peacekeeping, told the Security Council
that the training and deployment of police and border
security officers in Bosnia is continuing on schedule.
He said that, in both services, there is a significant
participation by Bosnia's ethnic minorities.
The establishment of a professional, non-partisan
police and judicial system in Bosnia is regarded by
many as a crucial cornerstone for the nation's future.
Netherlands ambassador Peter Van Walsum said crime and
corruption remain very serious problems in Bosnia. He
said smuggling is especially harmful, costing the
country hundreds of millions of dollars in lost tax
revenue.
///Van Walsum act///
The Bosnian authorities must redouble their
efforts to stamp out crime and corruption. They
must be aware that foreign aid is not an
infinite commodity.
///end act///
Despite the concerns about crime and corruption, other
speakers noted there has been progress in building a
multi-ethnic society in Bosnia. U-S representative
Nancy Soderberg noted that the hatred of the past is
slowly giving way to a new respect for democracy and
the rule of law. (Signed)
NEB/UN/BA/LSF/ENE/PT
15-Aug-2000 18:51 PM EDT (15-Aug-2000 2251 UTC)
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Source: Voice of America
[04] NEW YORK ECON WRAP (S&L) BY BARBARA SCHOETZAU (NEW YORK)
DATE=8/15/2000
TYPE=CORRESPONDENT REPORT
NUMBER=2-265515
CONTENT=
INTRO: Trading was mixed on Wall Street today
(Tuesday) with the Nasdaq Composite rebounding as the
Dow Jones Industrial Average ended a three-day winning
streak. Correspondent Barbara Schoetzau reports from
New York.
TEXT: The Dow Jones Industrial Average finished down
109 point - almost one percent - to close at 11-
thousand-67. The broader Standard and Poor's also
ended in the red, losing seven points, about half of
one percent. But the technology heavy Nasdaq Composite
Index closed up two points.
Sun Microsystems shot up toward the end of the trading
day after the company told investment analysts demand
for its computers is higher than expected.
Sluggish sales and higher inventories dragged retail
shares down. J-C Penney -- one of the nation's biggest
retailors -- reported that second quarter profits
dropped 90 percent. Home Depot shares fell after the
number one U-S home improvement chain reported second
quarter revenues were up more than 20 percent but
disappointed investors who had expected Home Depot to
exceed analysts' expectations.
/// REST OPT ///
Shares of Staples dipped after the office supplies
chain reported continued losses at its Internet site.
Staples chairman Thomas Stemberg says the company's
online business has been growing 500 percent over last
year and should show a profit by the end of next year.
/// STEMBERG ACT -opt--///
We now predict that revenues should easily
exceed 350 million dollars this year at Staples-
Dot-Com and comfortably north of 600 million
dollars next year when by the fourth quarter we
should achieve profitability.
/// STEMBERG ACT -end opt--///
/// opt /// Cendant, the world's largest hotel
franchiser, has announced its intention to buy the
rest of Avis Group Holdings, the car rental chain.
Cendant - which owns Howard Johnson, Super Eight
Motels, Day's Inn and Ramada - already owns 18 percent
of Avis.///end opt///
Summer doldrums are partially responsible for
lackluster trading.
Mace Blicksilver, managing director of Marblehead
Asset Management, says investors and analysts are
waiting for the government release Wednesday of the
Consumer Price Index, the last key report scheduled
before next week's meeting of the U-S central bank
which will determine the direction of U-S monetary
policy.
/// BLICKSILVER ACT-opt-- ///
Tomorrow, it's the C-P-I report, which will give
the last look at inflation data ahead of the
Fed's meeting next Tuesday. Friday is option
expiration. There are always some trends off
that.
/// END ACT -end opt--///
The government reported that U-S industrial production
in July rose for the fourth consecutive month,
suggesting that manufacturing continues to rebound
from last year's sluggish performance. The report also
said the nation's industries were operating at 82-
point-three percent of capacity - up a fraction over
June's figures. But analysts say declines in
automotive products and durable goods suggest a
slowdown in the economy.
Slowdown or not, U-S Treasury Secretary Lawrence
Summers says investment returns have never been
greater. But he says reducing the U-S debt should
remain the focus of U-S fiscal policy, not the type of
across-the-board tax cuts the Republicans have
suggested.
/// SUMMERS ACT ///
Every dollar we pay down of debt is a reduction
of the future tax burden on the American people.
Every dollar of paid down debt makes room for
extra American saving to go into investment in
our future, invest in tools, equipment,
investment in new homes.
/// END ACT ///
Mr. Summers says there is room for targeted tax cuts
aimed at helping people save and afford higher
education. (Signed)
NEB/BJS/TVM/PT
15-Aug-2000 18:25 PM EDT (15-Aug-2000 2225 UTC)
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Source: Voice of America
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