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U.N. accepts Iraqi proposal to end standoff
UNITED NATIONS — Moving to defuse
the latest standoff with Saddam Hussein, the
Security Council on Thursday accepted an
Iraqi proposal aimed at ending the three-day
detention erf U.N. weapons inspectors in Baghdad.
The inspectors have been held in a Baghdad
parking lot since they uncovered documents
describing Iraq’s secret nuclear weapons pro
gram.
Under the plan, diplomats said, the docu
ments, photographs and videotapes will stay in
the possession of the inspectors while they and
Iraqi authorities prepare a catalog of them.
Rolf Ekeus, head of the U.N. Special Com
mission charged with disposing of Iraq’s weap
ons of mass destruction, estimated that it would
take less than 24 hours to catalog all the docu
ments, film and videotape, and that not all 44
inspectors would be needed for the task. It was
not certain when the inspectors might actually
be freed.
Ekeus said “we are not talking hours” before
the team is released because arrangements need
to be made with the Iraqis. But he added: “We
have worked out very sound arrangements, and
we expect Iraq to say ‘yes’ to that, and then we
can work quickly.”
a ^
Iraqi citizens held government-sanctioned
demonstrations across the nation Thursday,
accusing the U.N. arms experts of being spies.
“Death to the enemies of Iraq!” chanted the
demonstrators, the official Iraqi News Agency
said.
Encircled by Iraqi troops, the inspectors
have struggled to keep their spirits high, hold
I_ -
ing lotteries to make calls home and improvis
ing touch football games, the U.N. team’s U.S.
leader said Thursday.
“Everyone’s in very good spirits, good health,”
David Kay told The Associated Press in a
satellite telephone interview from Baghdad.
Before the Security Council decision, Kay
said the inspectors had the ability to catalog the
documents if U.N. officials decided they should
do so.
“All we need to know is, what are the
guidelines and what is practically required, and
we’ll worry about finding ways to do it once
policy is set,” he said.
Kay said the documents were secured in one
of the cars “in the center of our little circle” in
the parking lot.
-44 ---
All we need to know is, what are the guidelines and what is
practically required, and well worry about finding ways to
do it once policy is set.
* Kay
team's U.S. leader
--- -
bpnng economic downturn
greater than early estimates
WASHINGTON — The U.S.
economy declined at a worse-than
expected annual rate of 0.5 percent in
the spring and there was a big jump in
laid-off workers seeking jobless bene
fits early this month, the government
said Thursday.
The downward revision in the gross
national product and the 8.9 percent
increase in the number of Americans
filing for unemployment benefits were
the latest signs of a struggling econ
omy, analysts said.
Analysts had been expecting the
GNP report to show newfound weak
ness from April through June, but
they were surprised that the drop was
put at 0.5 percent with consumer and
government spending and business
restocking of inventories all revised
lower.
It marked the second straight
downward revision. Originally, the
economy was thought to have actu
ally been growing at an annual rate of
0.4 percent in the spring. That was
revised last month to show a 0.1 per
cent decline.
The increase in jobless claims to
439,000 for the week ending Sept. 14,
up from 403,000 the previous week,
was seen as even more worrisome
because it showed that layoffs, which
should be declining in a normal re
covery, are beginning to rise again.
The increase left jobless claims at
their highest level in three months.
Analysts said only part of the jump
could be explained away by the fact
that it reflected a rebound following a
holiday-shortened filing period in the
previous week.
The Bush administration contin
ued to insist that the recovery from
the recession has begun and that the
GNP will rebound and begin growing
at annual rates of between 2 percent
and 3 percent in the last half of the
year.
“We still believe we are coming
out of a recession. It is a process that
is under way,” presidential spokes
man Marlin Fitzwater said. But he
added, “We want to do everything
possible to keep the economy going.
These numbers certainly show that
we cannot be complacent.” L
Romanian premier bows
to violent protest, resigns
BUCHAREST, Romania —
Premier Petre Roman resigned
Thursday, bowing to violent pro
tests against his economic reforms.
The move failed to stop chaoticj
demonstrations by thousands of
enraged miners and other citizens,
who demanded that the president
also step down.
Roman became the first of
Eastern Europe’s post-Communist
leaders to fall victim to a backlash
against reforms that countries across
the region arc imposing to treat
decades of Communist malaise.
The government’s Western
backed reforms have sliced stan
dards of living, widened the gap
between rich and poor, and sent
inflation soaring to 170 percent.
Thousands of miners arrived in
Bucharest Thursday on trains they
commandeered in central Roma
nia to join the 4,000 colleagues
. who came a day earlier.
“Don’t be afraid, (President Ion)
Ilicscu will fall,” jubilant miners
shouted from captured trucks they
drove through the city.
Three died in riots Wednesday,
and by Thursday afternoon, the
number of injured had climbed to
284, the state news agency Romprcs
said, without elaborating.
The ruling National Salavation
Front called on the army and Inte
rior Ministry to restore order, urged
Iliescu to summon the country’s I
Supreme Defense Council and M
appealed to Romanians to stay C
home.
J O I N I
SENATO Ftl
BOB KERREY
n
LIVE
MUSIC!
HISTORIC
PRESIDENTIAL
ANNOUNCEMENT
RAIN SITE: STATE CAPITOL MAIN ROTUNDA, SECOND FLOOR
r <*gjg*>. TO VOLUNTEER CALL: 402/475-4584 ^Z’ZZ*.
Senate approves defense bill
including B-2 bomber funds
WASHINGTON — The Senate passed a
1992 defense spending bill Thursday that keeps
alive the B-2 stealth bomber program, but puts
off until next year a final decision by Congress
on whether to spend S3.2 billion on four more
planes.
The bill, providing $269.7 billion for the
Pentagon in the budget year starting Oct. 1,
meets most of President Bush’s requests for
big-ticket weapons, including $4.6 billion for
the Strategic Defense Initiative to build a mis
sile defense.
The bill was passed on a voice vote.
The measure cuts the active-duty military
force by 106,000 people and makes other changes
to accelerate the shrinking of the American
military.
The main element of the bill that conflicts
with administration policy is a provision per
mitting U.S. servicewomen and spouses of
servicemen to have abortions performed at
their own expense at U.S. overseas military
installations.
I----,
Nebraskan
Editor Jana Padarsan, 472-1766
Managing Editor Diana Brayton
Assoc News Editors Stacay McKenzie
Kara Weils
Genera! Manager Dan Shattil
Production Manager Katherine Poilcky
Advertising Manager Todd Seers
Sales Manager Eric Krings!
Publications Board Bill Vobajda, 476-2855
Chairman
Professional Adviser Don Walton, 473-7301
FAX NUMBER 472-1761
The Daily Nebraskan(USPS 144-080) is published by
theUNL Publications Board. Nebraska Union 34,1400 R
St.. Lincoln, NE. Monday through Friday during the aca
demic year; weekly during summer sessions.
Readers are encouraged to submit story Ideas and
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ALL MATERIAL COihrtoOHT
1991 DAILY NEBRASKAN .
. The House version of the defense spending
bill contains no abortion provision. Bush has
said he would veto the defense bill if abortion
were included.
In votes on a series of amendments to the
bill during two full days of debate, the Senate:
— Defeated a proposal to cancel B-2 bomber
production after the 15 already authorized by
Congress. The vote of 51 -48 was the narrowest
margin of victory for B-2 supporters in numer
ous B-2 votes in recent years, including one
just two months ago. The House bill eliminates
money for further purchases of B-2s.
— Killed plans to spend $225 million for
tests on a rail-based mobile MX nuclear mis
sile. Opponents of the test said it was a waste of
money because the Pentagon currently has no
plans to convert the silo-based MX interconti
nental ballistic missile to one that could be
fired from rail cars. The House bill includes
$250 million for the test.
Number of poor
increases sharply
to 33.6 million
WASHINGTON — The number of Ameri
cans below the poverty line rose sharply last
year to 33.6 million, the Census Bureau said
Thursday. The increase, the first since 1983,
left nearly one in seven people in poverty, and
experts said the total was still climbing.
One-fifth of the nation’s children and one
third of its blacks were considered poor.
Experts said the higher poverty rate would
likely mean more people would lose their homes
or succumb to health problems and the strain of
trying to make ends meet. Some also predicted
increased racial and ethnic tension and more
crime.
In 1990, a family of four earning $ 13,359 or
less before taxes was considered poor. That
definition does not include any property the
family may own or some forms of assistance it
may receive.