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News Digest sa-* A ^ ^ 1 ^ Edited by Roger Price f New nuclear cuts likely Administration considering cuts in warhead count WASHINGTON — New nuclear weapons cuts under study by the B ush administration seem designed to en tice republics of the former Soviet Union to eliminate their most power ful nuclear missiles, analysts said Thursday. Sources said President Bush was considering reducing or eliminating long-range nuclear missiles with more than one warhead, a move that would include cuts in the submarine-based nuclear warheads that most concern the Russians. Up to now the United Stales has refused to consider cuts in the Trident submarine force, which is the most modem and survivable part of the U.S. strategic nuclear force. Asked about published reports that Bush was considering new cuts in the strategic arsenal, Pentagon spokes man Bob Hall declined comment beyond saying, “We’re looking at all of our programs, including strategic programs, in the context of changes in the world” and the prospect of continually shrinking defense budg ets. Cuts in the Trident nuclear force would be asmuch a bow to the reality of a breakdown in the U.S. nuclear production system as a willingness to give up firepower. Because of safety problems in the system, no new war heads are being built for the Trident II missile, and the Pentagon confirmed last month that it was considering Land and submarine-based nuclear weapons that could be affected by the President’s proposed cuts. Total warheads: WnuMmanll —. TMwMICJ TrtMnHl D-S 3 warheads per 10 warheads 8 warheads 4-8 warheads missile. 500 per missile. 50 per missile. per missile. 96 launchers. launchers. 384 launchers on launchers on 4 20 submarines. submarines. dropping plans for future production. A reciprocal action to the cuts said to be under consideration might be the scrapping of the SS-18 heavy missiles and the SS-24 mobile mis siles by Russia and the three other republics with strategic nuclear weap ons on their soil, said Jack Mendel sohn, a former U.S. strategic arms negotiator and currently deputy di rector of the private Arms Control Association. Both the SS-18 and SS-24 carry 10 warheads per missile. The U .S. plan could result in scrap ping up to about 20 percent of the long-range nuclear arsenal that would be left under the Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty, or START, which has not yet been ratified by the Sen ate. Bush proposed a ban on land-based multiple warhead missiles last Sept. 27, but he did not suggest cuts below the levels set by START. He also excluded the Trident submarine force. Mendelsohn said he believed the administration may be considering arming the Trident II missiles with six warheads each rather than the max imum possible eight. That would reduce the planned Trident II deploy ment by 480 warheads. 47 nations pledge to help republics WASHINGTON — Forty-seven nations large and small agreed Thursday on a massive “global effort” to rescue millions of hun gry people in the former Soviet Union with humanitarian shipments of food and medicine. The United States will airlift supplies to the 12 former republics with 54 sorties beginning Feb. 10. The food aboard will include 38.4 million pounds left over from the Persian Gulf war, enough for 16 million meals. A million doses of Desert Storm antibiotics will be carried by theC-5andC-141 cargo planes, as well. The airlift will “vividly show the peoples of the former Soviet Union that those who once pre pared for war with them now have the courage and conviction to use their militaries to wage a new peace,” Secretary of State James A. Baker III said. The NATO alliance will under take complementary deliveries. “Nothing could better symbolize the end of the Cold War,” NATO Secretary-General Manfred Woemer said. Baker said several countries had offered contributions in the closed sessions after President Bush pledged an additional S645 million at the opening Wednesday, He said Saudi Arabia would release $1.5 billion it had held up. Japan pledged $50 million in grants to purchase medicine and U.S. officials said South Korea had of fered $800 million and Thailand $450 million in low-interest loans. Argentina offered to take in 100,000 refugees. “Countries are responding in large measure in proportion to their ability,” Baker said. The United States has pledged more than $5 billion, mostly in farm credits while the 12-nation European Commu nity, led by Germany, has contrib uted billions of dollars more in credit, loans and grants. The conference came up with outlines on how to assist the repub lics in the areas of food, shelter, energy, medicine and economic reform. Franz Andriessen, the vice president of the European Com munity, told reporters: “Plans must now be followed by actions and results.” Some polls have indicated that Americans feel the United States is already giving the ex-Soviets too much aid. This sentiment could be a prob lem for Bush in his drive for re election, especially in light of the recession at home, a senior U.S. official said. “He’s going to say nothing can be more important for the security of the United States then to sec reform (in the former Soviet Un ion) succeed,” the official said. “We have something going that is very good for the United States.” Democrats ready to negotiate on extending unemployment WASHINGTON — Congressional Demo crats offered Thursday to negotiate an exten sion of jobless benefits with President Bush to avoid an election-year replay of last year’s partisan war over the issue. The Democrats’ accommodating words came a day after the White House said that Bush would support extra coverage for people who have used up their unemployment benefits. House Democrats have introduced legisla tion providing 13 extra weeks of coverage, beyond the 20- or 13-week extension approved last fall after a four-month dispute. The White House has provided no details of what it wants. Some 600,000 people will exhaust their extended benefits in the latter half of February with others following each week and no appar ent end to layoffs in sight. Jobless people personally pleaded for extended benefits dur ing a Thursday House Ways and Means sub committee hearing. The White House and Democratic com ments offered no guarantee of agreement. Democrats said they wanted to have a bill on Bush’s desk by mid-February, with or without a compromise. With the president slipping in public opin ion polls and the recession biting hard in many congressional districts, there was intense pres sure on both sides to strike a speedy deal and avoid angering voters just months before the . election. New government statistics provided fresh evidence of the recession’s sting. The Labor Department said the number of Americans filing new claims for unemployment benefits jumped 46,000 during the week ending Jan. 11, to 447,000 workers. The claims number is highly volatile, and in fact the four-week moving average of 434,000 new claimants was down from 465,000 for the previous week. Both numbers indicated the economic slump was continuing. Word of the Democrats’ willingness to talk came as the House Ways and Means Commit tee’s human resources subcommittee consid ered a S4.5 billion Democratic measure to extend the benefits. The subcommittee plans to vole on the bill next week. The bill’s two sponsors - Ways and Means Chairman Dan Rostenkowski, D-III., and sub committee Chairman Thomas Downey, D-N.Y. - both said the measure should be paid for if possible. “I’d like to pay for as much of this bill as we can,” Rostenkowski said. He added later, “We’d be happy to negotiate.” Rostenkowski said the program could be paid for, in part, with S3.7 billion in extra money he said the While House’s Office of Management and Budget expects the govern ment to raise over the next four years. 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Join Before Jan. 26 a ■ Sign up for as many 3-month increments as you wish ■ J or extend your current membership a ■ ■ ■ 222 N. 44th St. offer expires 1/26/92 475-5686 I ——^ ' "7 i1 Nebraskan Editor Jana Pedersen 472-1766 Managing Editor Kara Wells Assoc News Editors Chris Hopfansperger Kris Karnopp Opinion Page Editor Alan Phelps Wire Editor Roger Price Copy Desk Editor Wendy Navratll Sports Editor Nick Hytrek Assistant Sports Editor Tom Clouse Arts & Entertain ment Editor Stacey McKenzie Diversions Editor Dionne Searcey Photo Chief Michelle Paulman Night News Editors Adeana Leftin John Adklsson Wendy Mott Tom Kunz Art Director Scott Maurer General Manager Dan Shattll Production Manager Katherine Pollcky Advertising Manager Todd Sears Sales Manager Eric Krfnael Classified Ad Manager Annette Sueper Publications Board Chairman Bill Vobejda 472- 2588 Professional Adviser Don Walton 473- 7301 FAX NUMBER 472-1761 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, 472-2588. Subscription price is $50 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 1992 DAILY NEBRASKAN Arms ban put on Somalia UNITED NATIONS—The U.N. Security Council on Thursday im posed an arms embargo against com batants in Somalia’s civil war and urged all warring factions to agree to an immediate cease-fire. The 15-membcr council unani mously adopted the resolution that calls for the embargo on the Horn of Africa nation and asks Boutros Boutros Ghali, the secretary-general, to ready a massive program of humanitarian assistance. An estimated 20,000 people, mostly civilians, have been killed or wounded since November in the power struggle between tribal warlords vying for power since longtime President Mohamed Siad Barre fled the country last January. The resolution strongly urges all parties to immediately agree to a cease fire. It also calls on them to ensure the safety of aid workers. Nuclear weapons producer had 127 accidents since 1943 YAKIMA, Wash. — There have been 127 significant accidents involv ing nuclear weapons production at the Hanford nuclear reservation since 1943, according to a report obtained Thursday by The Associated Press. Fourteen of the accidents were in the most serious category, and the last major accident occurred in 1980, the U.S. Department of Energy report said. While the DOE. says the report contains no new public revelations, it is the first comprehensive look at the scattered accident history of the for mer plutonium production site. “None of the incidents reviewed resulted in a worker fatality," the report said. “Hanford’s overall plant safety record has been exemplary.” Hanford, located near Richland in south-central Washington state, used nine reactors and huge processing facilities to make much of the pluto nium for the nation’s nuclear weap ons. Most of the accidents involved facilities that are no longer in use, the report said. The report said only eight of the accidents, and none classified among the most serious, have occurred since 1980.