Image provided by: University of Nebraska-Lincoln Libraries, Lincoln, NE
About The daily Nebraskan. ([Lincoln, Neb.) 1901-current | View Entire Issue (Feb. 1, 1989)
News Digest Edited by Diana Johnson Soviets avow 111 murders Crime statistics reported MOSCOW - The Soviet govern ment, in keeping with a new policy to disclose crime statistics, said Tues day that 111 murders were commit ted in the entire country in January■, including one policeman killed in the line of duty. Militia Col. Yuri Arshcncvsky, a spokesman for the Interior Ministry, was quoted by Tass as saying previ ously classified crime statistics henceforth “will be available for everyone.” The f rst figures released as part of the new policy showed 93 of the 111 January murders had been solved and that most “were committed at home due to drunkenness and jealousy,” the official news agency said. In January 1988. New York City reported 152 cases of murder and non-ncgligent manslaughter. Tass said 137 holdups were com mitted in January 1989, only 61 of which were solved. The report added that drivers of unregistered taxis in creasingly are being victimized. “One militia serviceman was killed this month when performing his official duly of maintaining pub lic order, and 12 were injured,” the report said. It added the militia per sonnel, the Soviet Union’s uniformed police force, used firearms 11 times during the month and that investiga tion showed each case was justifi able. Arshcnevsky said the ministry will begin publishing a statistical bulletin and “in due course, possibly. all people who wish will be able lo subscribe to it. ’ ’ Soviet authorities used to provide no information about domestic crime, and the state-controlled media ignored the subject, but under Presi dent Mikhail S. Gorbachev's policy of greater openness, the subject often is discussed in the media. Some par ticularly noteworthy cases, such as airplane hijackings and even the re cent fircbombing of a private coop erativc restaurant in Moscow are widely reported. Pravda published a report by the Interior Ministry in January that the crime rate in the Soviet Union had soared by 17 percent during 1988. The report, however, gave no figures for individual crimes. U. S. air flight nearly misses Soviet plane during evacuation NEW DELHI, India - The evacu ation flight carrying the last 11 U.S. Embassy staffers out of the besieged Afghan capital narrowly missed a head-on collision with a Soviet trans port plane today, the two most senior American diplomats said. “We had a near-collision 10 min utes after take-off with an incoming flight from the north,” Jon D. Glass man, charge d’affaires at the closed U.S. Embassy in Kabul said after arriving in New Delhi. Jim Schumakcr, the second-rank ing diplomat at the embassy, said the Americans' chartered Indian Airlines flight came within a mile of a head-on collision with the Soviet IL-76 trans 1 port plane. “Air traffic control at Kabul is never very good,” Schumakcr said. Both diplomats praised the cap tain of the Indian Airlines Boeing 737 for his quick and expert action in avoiding a collision. “We drank a champagne toast after crossing the Afghan border,’1 Schumaker said. The State Department ordered the U.S. Embassy’s two diplomats, four Marine guards and five-member sup port staff to leave Kabul because of fears the Afghan army could not pro tect foreign diplomats after the Red Army w ithdraws. The Americans are expected to return to Washington this week. Soviet soldiers entered Afghani stan’s civil war nine years ago and arc to be gone by Feb. 15 under a U.N. mediated agreement. Moslem insur gents, who get most of their support from the United States and Pakistan, were not parties to the agreement and predict victory soon after the Red Army departs. The U.S. Embassy closed after an emotional ceremony during which the American flag was lowered. Embassy staff members traveled to Kabul airport today in two bullet proof jeeps escorted by an Afghan army car. At the airport, Marine Sgl. David Hinkcll cut the U.S. flag from the jeep top, rolled it up and handed it to Glassman. Glassman said the embassy would reopen when peace is restored to Afghanistan. “We'll be back in a few months,” he said. Hijacked plane lands in Costa Rica after takeoff from Colombian airport SAN JOSE, Cosia Rica -- A lone hijacker seized control Tuesday of a Colombian airliner with 116 passen gers aboard, authorities said, and surrendered after the plane landed in Costa Rica. The Ace airline Boeing 727 was commandeered at about 11 a.m. after taking off from San Andres Island, Colombia, en route to the city of Medellin, the Civil Aeronautics Department of Colombia said. Officials in Colombia said the plane’s pilot, Capt. Jaime Perez, re ported the hijacker had a container that apparently was filled with gaso line. The pilot was quoted as saying the man threatened to spill the liquid over a passenger and set it afire. The hijacker turned himself in to authorities after the plane landed in Costa Rica at about noon, control tower officials said at the airport north of the Costa Rican capital. A Costa Rican anti-terrorist squad and Red Cross personnel entered the plane, the control tower officials said. Public Security Director Heman Garron said the hijacker apparently acted alone. He said it was not known if the hijacker made any demands. Officials in Colombia said the plane carried 116 passengers and six crew members. NelSraskan Editor Curt Wagner Night News Editors Victoria Ayotta 472-1766 Chrla Carroll Managing Editor Jana Hlrt Librarian Anna Mohri Assoc News Editors Laa Rood Art Directors John Bruce Bob Nelson Andy Manhart Editorial Page Editor Amy Edwards General Manager Dan Shattll Wire Editor Diana Johnson Production Manager Katherine Policky Copy Desk Editor Chuck Green Advertising Manager Robert Bates Sports Editor Jeff Apel Sales Manager David Thiemann Arts A Entertainment Circulation Manager Eric Shanks Editor Mlckl Haller Publications Board Diversions Editor Joeth Zucco Chairman Tom Macy Sower Editor Klrstln Swanson 475-9666 m Supplements Editor Deanna Nelson Professional Adviser Don Walton Graphics Editor Tim Hartmann 473-7301 Photo Chief Connie Sheehan The Daily NebraskanfUSPS 144 080) is published by the UNI Publications Board. Ne braska Union 34, 1400 R St., Lincoln, NE, Monday throuflh Friday during the academic year, weekly during summer sessions _ „ , Readers are encouraged to submit story ideas and comments to the Daily Nebraskan by phoning 472-1763 between 9 a m and 5 p m Monday through Friday The public so has access to the Publications Board For information, contact Tom Macy, 475 9868 Subscription price is $45 for one year Postmaster Send address changes to the Daily Nebraskan, Nebraska Union 34,1400 R St .Lincoln. NE 68588 0448 Second class postage paid at Lincoln, NE ALL MATERIAL COPYRIGHT 1989 DAILY NEBRASKAN f 1 Judge says jurors’ familiarity with North poses trial problems WASHINGTON ~ Oliver North s Iran-Contra trial quickly ran into jury-selection (rouble Tuesday and the judge said there could be prob lems with “triability of the case’’ because so many people had seen or read of North’s testimony in congres sional hearings. U.S. District Judge Gerhard A. Gesell said only 16 of the first 54 prospective iurors indicated on ques tionnaires they weren’t exposed to North’s congressional appearances. The former White House aide testi fied to House and Senate investigat ing committees in 1987 under a grant of limited immunity from prosecu tion based on his testimony. Gesell decided to hear arguments on how much exposure to such testi mony ought to be allowed before a possible juror was disqualified. He said he would rule Wednesday. As proceedings began, North, dressed in a dark suit, sal at the de fense table. He had testified to Con grcss in his ribbon-bcdcckcd Marine uniform but has since retired from the service. North’s trial on charges of lying to Congress, shredding evidence and conspiring to commit tax fraud ' arises following a period of fairly intense publicity on television, news papers, magazines” which will con tinue, Gescll said. He quickly excused the first five prospective jurors after all said they had been exposed to North’s 1987 testimony. One said she had the television turned on and was aware of North’s immunized testimony, in which he detailed activities in connection with which he is now accused of crimes. Another prospective juror said she had monitored North’s congressional appearances “rathor continuously.” 1 wo others agreed with the judge’s characterization that they had been ‘ ‘interested” in North’s testimony. A Idtii said she may have seen portions of North’s congressional appear ances “once or twice a week ’ ’ during the time he testified. John Keker, who heads the prose cution team for independent counsel Lawrence Walsh, said he wanted to present arguments on the process of automatically disqualifying prospec tive jurors because they thought they might have been exposed to North’s testimony. The judge said he wanted to con sider “how we’re going to deal with this problem.” He said, “This relates to the inability of the ease.” The questionnaire each of the prospective jurors was told 10 fill out carried a written wanting not to read or listen to anything about North. It also asked whether they know or have any connection with any of 195 people whose names have come up in the Iran-Contra ease, including for mer President Ronald Reagan and President George Bush. Tanker plane crashes near air base runway; 19 passengers aboard ABILENE, Texas - A military tanker plane carrying 19 people crashed in flames Tuesday near a runway at Dyess Air Force Base. Air Force officials said there were bodies in the wreckage, but wouldn’t comment on casualties. Reporters said they had not seen any bodies removed from the plane. The wreckage, scattered over a wide area, continued to bum more than an hour after the crash. A local justice of the peace was called to the base to record fatali ties, his office said. The KC-135 A tanker crashed in a ball of flame near the south end of the Dyess runway. Air Force offi cials said. Vernon Wright, 19, said he was on his way home when he saw the crash. The plane’s crew “never got it off the ground,’’ he said. “The first thing I saw was just the mushroom of the smi ;c.... I thought they were having a fire drill," he said. "I heard the plane as ii was coming down," said Skcel Jackson. “Engines were backfir ing and missing. It curved off to the left and crashed. And then I saw the ball of smoke and fire go up.' The plane, assigned to K.l. Sawyer Air Force Base in Michi gan, was cn route from Dycss to Hickham Air Force Base in Haw aii on a training mission, said Dyess Airman 1st Class Beverly Foster. The KS-135,dubbed the Strato tankcr, is the backbone of the Air Force’s refueling fleet. The four engine jet, a military spin-off of the Boeing 707, normally takes a crew of four or five but can carry more passengers even when carry ing fuel. A KC-135 crashed Oct. 11, 1988, at Wurtsmith Air Base near Oscoda, Mich. The plane, also from K.l. Sawyer, crashed and burst into flames on landing. The crash killed six and injured 10 aboard.
