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About The daily Nebraskan. ([Lincoln, Neb.) 1901-current | View Entire Issue (April 10, 1991)
News Digest Edited by Jennifer O'Cilka Nationwide moratorium # Gorbachev proposes halt to strikes, rallies MOSCOW - President Mikhail Gorbachev, saying he was trying to avert a national “catastrophe,” Tues day proposed a nationwide morato rium on strikes, rallies and demon strations. Gorbachev’s proposal came as he grappled with growing challenges to his authority. Striking coal miners kept up demands for his resignation, Byelorussians called for a general strike, and lawmakers in Georgia declared independence for their re public. “We face the danger of economic collapse,” Gorbachev told the Fed eration Council, consisting of top national officials and the leaders of the 15 Soviet republics. “Today we have to act together, not separately, to unite all the forces of society, to forget about all dis putes. We have to act so as not to allow our country to (fall into) a ca tastrophe,” he said in an impassioned appeal that was broadcast in part on national television. Gorbachev proposed the morato rium as part of a package of “anti crisis measures,” including a stepped up effort to conclude a new Union Treaty to hold the republics together. Presidential spokesman Vitaly Ignatenko said Gorbachev proposed “a moratorium on all strikes, demon strations, public meetings and other political acts that may destabilize the situation in the country.” It was unclear whether Gorbachev was urging the Supreme Soviet legis lature to outlaw strikes and street protests, or seeking voluntary restraint from disgruntled workers. Asked by reporters whether the president wanted a legal ban on such activities, Ignatenko said: “The mccha -« — Today we have to act together, not sepa rately, to unite all forces of society, to forget about all dis putes. Gorbachev Soviet president -99 - nism for implementing the president’s proposal has not been discussed.” Despite a three-week ban on ral lies in Moscow, an estimated 100,000 people marched through the city on March 28 in support of Gorbachev’s rival, Russian leader Boris Yeltsin. The Soviet legislature ordered strik ing miners back to work last month, but the walkout has grown to involve up to 300,000 of the nation’s 1.2 million coal workers. Although Gorbachev offered last week to doubled their wages, they continue to insist that he step down and transfer power to the 15 restive republics. The strike has cut into production by steel mills and other heavy indus try. “We have practically no reserves to provide for normal functioning of enterprises related to coal mining,” said Ignatenko. Neither the president nor his spokes man had immediate public reaction to the declaration by awmakers in Georgia, which on Tuesday became the fourth republic to proclaim inde pendence. It joined the Baltic states of Lithu ania, Latvia and Estonia on the path to secession. The unanimous declaration by the Georgian parliament came on the second anniversary of the slaying of 19 peaceful protesters by Soviet troops in Tbilisi, the Georgian capital. On April 9, 1989, troops broke up the demonstration by firing tear gas and swinging sharpened shovels. “We decided to declare independ ence today to realize the cherished dream of (the protesters) and of the entire Georgian people,” the repub lic’s president, Zviad Gamsakhurdia, said in an interview on national tele vision. The immediate effect of the decla ration was only symbolic, because it was unlikely to be recognized by ei ther Gorbachev or the national legis lature. U.N. authorizes peace force, delays Kurdish haven proposal UNITED NATIONS - The U.N. Security Council Tuesday voted unani mously to establish a 1,440-member peacekeeping force to monitor the Iraq-Kuwait border and the withdrawal of allied forces from southern Iraq. The 15-member council delayed its formal declaration of a cease-fire in the war until Iraq delivers a report of its National Assembly’s acceptance of the onerous U.N. terms for a per manent cease-fire. A formal end to the war was expected to be announced Wednesday. Under the permanent cease-fire resolution, adopted by the council last Wednesday, Iraq must scrap its weapons of mass destruction and pay heavy war reparations. Iraq sent a 23 page letter accepting the resolution Saturday. The composition of the peacekeep ing force has not been announced by the secretary-general, but it is ex pected to include U.S., British. Chi nese, French and Soviet military offi cers as observers. That would mark the first time the five permanent members of the Secu rity Council had served together in a U.N. peacekeeping operation. There are seven other active U.N. peacekeep ing groups around the world. The deployment date was not set. The force is expected to cost $123 million in the first year. It will be financed with voluntary contributions. The force will patrol a demilita rized zone six miles into Iraq and 3 1/ 2 miles into Kuwait. The council delayed until Wednes day discussion of humanitarian aid to Iraqi Kurds and a European Commu nity proposal to provide a haven for Kurds in northern Iraq, where Sad dam Hussein’s forces have crushed most of the Kurdish rebellion. U.N. lawyers were studying the safely zone proposal. Officials said the creation of such an area would be unprecedented. U.S. Ambassador Thomas Picker ing has said general precedents ex isted in the creation of “corridors of tranquillity” last year for transporting relief supplies in Sudan. Israel agrees to peace talks with Arabs, Soviet Union JERUSALEM - Israel informed the United States Tuesday that it was willing to hold peace talks with the Arab nations under Ameri can auspices and with the partici pation of the Soviet Union. “I hope that the U.S. will suc ceed in getting agreement of the other parties,,r Foreign Minister David Levy said, underscoring that Israel’s aim was to have direct negotiations with its neighbors on their 43-year conflict. Secretary of State James Baker welcomed the Israeli move, which came at the start of four days of talks with Midcast leaders, as “very constructive.” Baker added, “there is a long, long way to go. There arc many, many parties involved. There are lots of questions before us that have to be addressed.” If Baker, who meets later in the week with Egyptian, Saudi, Syrian and Jordanian leaders, can gain their approval for regional peace talks, it would be a breakthrough on what he has called “the most ■ intractable problem in diplomacy — the Arathlsraeli dispute.” On the eve of Baker’s visit to Cairo, the state-owned newspaper Al-Ahram said Egypt still views an international peace conference as the proper framework for settling Arab-Isr^eli disputes. And Palestinian leaders said their talks Tuesday with Baker revealed no apparent change in American or Israeli policies toward the territo ries occupied by Israel. “Really, we can’t tell you about anything encouraging out of this meeting,” said Dr. Haydar al-Shafi, one of six Palestinians who met with Baker. Levy reaffirmed a 1989 Israeli offer to hold elections on the West Bank and Gaza leading to limited Palestinian self-rule. The peace conference, as he described it, did not call for Pales tinian participation. He said later on Israeli television that Palestini ans should “be part of a Jordanian delegation, with representatives from Judea, Samaria (the West Bank) and Gaza w ho are not PLO. ” Baker met separately with Pal estinians approved by Chairman Yasser Arafat of the Palestine Liberation Organization, and a senior U.S. official said later Pal estinian participation in any peace conference was essential. The official, who briefed re porters under rules shielding his identity, said the Palestinians asked Baker “probing questions" about Israel’s offer. Among other details to be re solved arc when and where peace talks would be held. Levy said in his TV remarks, “We would want it to take place in Washington. . . , The sooner it happens, the happier Israel will be. We are talking about this year.” Iraq rejects calls for Kurdish enclave IN NORTHERN IRAQ - Iraq’s premier said Tuesday his nation will fightcalls for establish ing a Kurdish refuge in his country, but a Kurd leader said rebels favor a European plan for a U.N.-protected enclave in northern Iraq. The United States, Britain and France flew supply missions to the mile-long line of refu gees backed up along mountain rails and passes near the Turkish and Iranian borders. About 1 million had reportedly already crossed the border to safety. Prime Minister Saadoun Hammadi said Iraq will oppose “by all means” the plan for a Kurdish enclave. He said in remarks carried by the official Iraqi News Agency that Western nations were guilty of “fabricating this (refu gee) problem and exaggerating it.” Hammadi said Iraq had already taken steps to solve the problem, including offering am nesty to Kurdish rebels and transportation for refugees who want to return home. “Iraq’s statement says everything about its contempt for human life,” Britain’s Foreign Office said in response to the Iraqi remarks. International support grew Tuesday for the enclave proposed by British Prime Minister John Major. The plan was endorsed Monday by the European Community, backed by Turkey and Australia and is to be discussed Wednes day by the U.N. Security Council. Masoud Barzani, leader of the Kurdistan Democratic Party, termed the refuge plan “a big humanitarian and political step forward” and said the rebels would accept a cease-fire if an enclave is established. Barzani said the rebels “support this pro posal and urge all slates to back it and imple ment it as soon as possible.” He spoke to reporters at a temporary headquarters in the rebel-held mountains. Thousands of trucks, cars and other vehicles were packed solid and were motionless for miles Tuesday along the suddenly crowded roads near the Iranian border. Thousands of other refugees trudged past, many barefoot, on a several-day trip to the border. Many refugees have been waiting near the borders for days with no shelter or food. A nightlong storm of lightning, thunder and hail worsened their plight Tuesday. Iran’s official Islamic Republic News Agency said many refugees were eating dirty, stale bread or wild mountain plants. Rebel officials said aid airlifted by the United States, France and Britain had fallen closer to the Turkish border; none had reached the hun dreds of thousands massed near the Haj Omran pass to Iran. A spokesman at Incirlik air base in Turkey, from which relief flights take off, confirmed there had been no drops near the Iranian bor ders, although more refugees have been re ported heading to Iran than Turkey. At least 10 U.S. planes, two from Britain and two from France flew mercy missions over the refugees on Tuesday, but bad weather hampered a few flights. The British news agency Press Association reported at least one Royal Air Force plane carrying tents, blankets and food had to turn back. NelSra&kan Editor Eric Planner Night News Editors Pat Dlnslage 472-1766 Kara Walla Managing Editor Victoria Ayotte Cindy Woatral Editorial Page Editor Bob Nelson _ General Manager Dan Shattll Wire Editor Jennifer O'CHka Production Manager Katherine Pollcky Copy Desk Editor Diane Brayton Advertising Manager Loren Malioee Sports Editor Paul Domeler ,, Sales Manager Todd Sears Arts & Entertainment Publications Board Editor Julie Naughton Chairman BlllVobeJda Diversions Editor Connie Sheehan _ . , . . . 436-999J Photo Chief William Lauer Professional Adviser Don Watton »• 471*7901 The Daily Nebraskan(USPS 144-080) is published by the UNL Publications Board, Ne braska Union 34,1400 R St., Lincoln, NE, Monday through 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 also has access to the Publications Board. For Information, contact Bill Vobejda, 436-9993 Subscription price is $45 for one year Postmaster; Send address changes to the Daily Nebraskan, Nebraska Union 34, 1400 R St..Lincoln, NE 66588 0448. Second-class postage paid at Lincoln, NE. _ALL MATERIAL COPYRIGHT 1991 DAILY NEBRASKAN_ Journal: Woman faked cancer to get sympathy from fiance NEW YORK - A woman jilted by her fiance sought sympathy by faking terminal breast cancer for two years, shaving her head and dieting away 20 pounds or so, a psychiatrist says. She even fooled a cancer support group. The woman, who also feigned list lessness and loss of appetite, built up a network of close friends among support-group members. “She felt that the process of re building a social life for herself was simply overwhelming. She needed a shortcut,” said Dr. Marc Feldman. Feldman, a psychiatrist in Birming ham, Ala., is a co-author of a report on the case in the spring issue of the journal Psychosomatics. The woman had what psychiatrists call a factitious disorder. In this con dition, a person consciously fakes an illness for some psychological gain. makes a career of being a patient. Nobody knows how common fac titious disorder is, said David Folks, a professor in the department of psy chiatry and behavioral ncurobioiogy at the University of Alabama School of Medicine in Birmingham. But, he said, “on any one day, you could probably go into your local hospital and find one patient who either had factitious disorder or was a Munchausen patient. So it’s not rare by any stretch of the imagination.”
