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About The daily Nebraskan. ([Lincoln, Neb.) 1901-current | View Entire Issue (Sept. 16, 1991)
! News Digest es— -L ^ V* f f MS AfcVL/ V EditedbyEricpfanner Georgian republic’s coalition apparently falling out TBILISI, U.S.S.R. — Georgian President Zviad Gamsakhurdia’s coalition appeared to fracture Sunday when some members stormed from a mucous parliament session, accusing their leader of becoming a dictator. “This is definitely an authoritarian regime,” said Tedo Patashvili, chair man of the foreign affairs committee and a member of the Ilya The Just Society, a faction of Gamsakhurdia’s coalition. Gamsakhurdia appeared calm despite the walkout, but later warned his political opponents against stir ring up trouble. “We are not going to attack the opposition, but they had better not try the patience of the Georgian people,” he told reporters during a break in the one-day legislative session. “If they do, the people will direct their anger against the provocateurs,” Gamsakhurdia added. The minister of material wealth, Igor Cheidze, also announced that the government had nationalized all Soviet factories and businesses in the terri tory. It wasn’t clear how many enter prises the law would affect or when. The walkout followed debate over whether to televise the proceedings to the 5.5 million Georgians. Speakers argued that a live broadcast would inflame an already tense situation in Georgia, but critics said it would be undemocratic. Lawmakers voted 78-72 with 18 abstentions to tape the session and edit it for broadcast later. Angered by the vote, 39 opposition lawmakers stormed out, including several mem-, bers of Gamsakhurdia’s coalition. -1 Harkin jumps into campaign WINTERSET, Iowa—Iowa Sen. Tom Harkin jumped into the Democratic presidential race Sunday with a populist’s fiery call to “take back government from the privileged few” and return the parly to its roots. Harkin spelled out a cam paign aimed at “the people who pull the load and pay the taxes,” those he said had been betrayed by “the greed and selfishness of George Herbert Walker Bush and J. Danforth Quayle.” He dismissed his odds against President Bush, even as he touted his bid to “start investing here in America.” “There are those who say that we’re a long shot, that we can’t win,” Harkin said. “I’m here to tell you that George Herbert W alker Bush has feet of clay and 1 intend to take a ham mer to them.” >' _-_. _ HOSTAGES TIMELINE; Here are the 11 Western hostages missing in Lebanon, their age, country and date taken captive: terry anderson »43«American«37t *85 " ALEC COLLETT • 68 • British• *2*85 11 THOMAS SUTHERLAND . 60 * American ♦ *9/85 ALBERTO MOUNARI * 72 • Italian * 9/11/85 mw&mmppm 61 • American -9/12/86 TERRY WAITE • 52 • British «1/2087 ALANN STEEN • 52 • American. 1/2487 JESSE TURNER • 44 * American • 1/24/87 JACK MANN • 77 * Brltlah • *1289 HEINRICH STRUEBiO * 50 . German. *1*89 >85_86 *89 90_'91_ Shiite cleric urges one-time hostage swap BEIRUT, Lebanon — Lebanon’s tense speculation that freedom for top Shiite Muslim cleric said Sunday one or two of the Western hostages that a Western hostage would be re- was imminent. Other religious lead leased in weeks, but urged a one-time ers with lies to the kidnappers had swap involving Western captives and predicted a hostage release in a mat Arab prisoners to end the crisis. ter of days. Sheik Mohammed Mehdi Sham- Shamscddine called fora compre seddine’s statements came amid in- hensive swap — rather than gradual releases — of Arab prisoners held by ister, Ali Akbar Velayati, called for Israel in return for the 11 Westerners all parties to cooperate with U.N. held by Shiites in Lebanon. But Israel Secretary-General Javier Perez de says the detainees will only be freed Cuellar, who is leading diplomatic after a full accounting of its. seven efforts to free the captives, missing servicemen. iran ^as secure the release Amid other stgns of movement on f h in decent years, the hostage issue, Iran s foreign mm- b J Burning season Fires in Amazon continue to rage I _SAO SEBASTIAO DE TOCANTINS, Brazil — It’s burning season in the Amazon Basin and a thick haze of smoke and ash shrouds the rain forest. Fires by ranchers and farmers this year are expected to destroy 5,000 square miles of forest, an area slightly larger than Connecti cut, according to government estimates. That would be about 40 percent of the amount burned last year. Already, three children have died from respiratory ailments related to smoke inhalation in northern Para state, and airports can open only sporadically because of poor visibility. Forest fires have damaged electric lines, causing periodic blackouts. A smoke cloud stretched almost 4,000 miles in early September, from the northeast ern stale of Maranhao to remote Acre on Brazil’s western border with Peru. In this small village in the southeastern Amazon Basin the sun rises an eerie red, trapped behind a gray shroud, and sets the same color at dayYs end. “Ten years ago this entire region was cov ered by virgin rain forest,’’ the Rev. Miguel Elousa Rojo said as he squinted through smoke rolling across the windshield of his pickup truck. “Now it is total desolation.” Rojo drove past mile after mile of blackened land, with only an occasional palm tree still standing. A few skinny cows walked amid the ruins, picking at the little green that remained. The lovely Tocantins River passes just a few hundred yards in front of the village’s Roman Catholic church. But during the burning season, Rojo says, he almost forgets that it exists. Though it is illegal to bum the jungle for farming or ranching, the practice is routine. Fires are set as soon as the dry season begins, normally in August. More than 250,000 square miles of rain forest — about the size of Texas — have been burned in the Amazon, whose 2 million square miles contain 30 percent of the world’s remaining rain forest. The burning destroys lush vegetation that produces huge amounts of oxygen. Mean while, the smoke is believed to contribute to the “greenhouse effect,” which many * scientists say is causing a gradual warming of the planet. NetJraskan Editor Jana Pedersen, 472-1766 Managing Editor Diane Brayton Assoc. News Editors Stacey McKenzie Kara Walls General Manager Dan Shattll Production Manager Katharine Pollcky Advertising Manager Todd Sears Sales Manager Eric Krtngel Publications Board Bill Vobejda, 436-9993 Chairman Professional Adviser Don Walton, 473-7301 The Daily Nebraskan(USPS 144-080) is published by , the UNL Publications Board, Nebraska 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 Fnday. The public also has access to the Publications Board. For information, contact Bill Vobejda. 438-9993. Subscription price is $50 for one year. Postmaster: Send address changes to the Daily Ne braskan, Nebraska Union 34. 1400 R St.,Lincoln, NE 88588-0448. Second-class postage raid at Lincoln, NE. ALL MATERIAL COPYRIGHT 1991 DAILY NEBRASKAN Gates makes bid for top CIA post WASHINGTON — Robert Gates began his intelligence career 25 years ago in a quin tessentially Cold War role: as an intelligence officer minding Minuteman nuclear missiles at Whiteman Air Force Base, Mo. On Monday, he will try to persuade the Senate Intelligence Committee that he is the man to become the new leader of the Central Intelligence Agency, to lead America’s spy institutions beyond the Cold War. But before he can look to the future, Gates must defend his past. Intelligence Committee Chairman David Boren, D-Okla., who has been one of Gates’ biggest supporters, said the nominee’s chances “will depend on how he conducts himself in the hearings.” ^ *