The daily Nebraskan. ([Lincoln, Neb.) 1901-current, April 28, 1992, Page 2, Image 2

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    • \fpWS Dicrpcf Associated Press
JL ^ V VV VJ L/ lCLVIJi Edited by Roger Price
Moderate Afghan Muslims near victory
Interim leaders
coming by road
from Pakistan
KABUL, Afghanistan — Rival
Muslim guerrillas battled to a stand
off Monday over the southern ap
proach to Kabul and ignored a re
ported cease-fire agreement as they
fought for control of the Afghan capi
tal.
A convoy carrying members of a
guerrilla-led interim government that
supported more moderate factions left
Pakistan for the 120-milc journey over
rugged roads to Kabul. The rebel
leaders planned to formally replace
the fallen regime of President Najib
ullah.
A truce that Pakistan’s govern
ment said was agreed to between the
leaders of radical fundamentalists and
more moderate guerrillas went un
heeded. Red, green and yellow tracer
bullets and flares illuminated the sky
above Kabul into the night.
Roughly 90 percent of the city was
under the control of a coalition com
manded by Ahmed Shah Masood. It
failed to dislodge the radical fighters
of his bitter rival, Gulbuddin
Hekmatyar, from their strongholds.
Both sides fought with tanks, rock
ets and machine guns. Masood’s fight
ers were supported by soldiers and
even a warplane from Najibullah’s
military.
lviaMjuuauu ncMiiaiyar ooui warn
to establish an Islamic state, but they
differ on how strict the theocracy
should be.
In Islamabad, Pakistan’s capital, a
spokesman for the Foreign Ministry,
Javed Hussein, said the leaders agreed
to a truce. He did not release any
details, but Pakistan’s state news
agency said the agreement was medi
ated by Pakistani Prime Minister
Nawaz Sharif and senior Saudi Ara
bian officials.
The 50-mcmbcr interim govern
ing council originally had planned to
fly to Kabul on a Pakistani military
plane. The leaders decided to go
overland because Hekmatyar’s troops
threatened to shoot at any plane ap
proaching the capital.
In Washington, State Department
spokeswoman Margaret Tutwiler said
Masood’s forces seemed to have fared
best in fighting that began Saturday
after rebels advanced into the capital.
“Hekmatyar seems outclassed
militarily and isolated politically,”
she said.
She said the A fghans should seek a
political solution involving a broad
based transition government.
U.N. Secretary-General Boutros
Boutros-Ghali met in Tehran with
Iranian leaders to seek help in slop
ping the fighting.
U.N. special envoy Bcnon Sevan
planned to return to Kabul on Wednes
day, U.N. officials said.
The civil war has claimed an esti
mated 2 million lives and driven 5
Control of
Afghanistan
Major rebel factions and the
provinces they claim to control.
Q Jamlat-e-lslaml
Moderates commanded by Ahmed
Shah Masood, an ethnic Tajik.
^ Hezb-e-lslaml
Radical fundamentalists led by
Gulbuddin Hekmatyar, an ethnic
Pathan and bitter enemy of
Masood. Both groups favor an
Islamic state but differ on how
strict the theocracy should be.
g Hezb-e-lslaml (breakaway)
Faction headed by Vunis Khalis
[~~| Councils
Comprised of either elders
from dominant tribes or
multiparty commanders
^ Jamll-ur-Rehman
Ultra-orthodox Muslims
100 miles
100 km
PAKISTAN
Kunar
Kapisa
Laghman" ^
Nangarhar \
Logar Q (
PaMa Islamabad v
Competing factions
battle for control.
•Commanders' council lad by Jamiat-e-lslaml.
“Claimed by more than one group.
1
million people from their homes.
Monday was the 14th anniversary of
the Marxist coup that touched off the
Muslim uprising.
Fighting was concentrated on two
hilltops facing across the highway
leading south from Kabul. Scattered
skirmishes also flared in the city center
and in other pockets held by
Hekmatyar’s troops.
In the heaviest fighting,
Hckmalyar’s fighters withstood
bombing by a Soviet-built fighter
bomber piloted by a Masood loyalist
as well as tank barrages and an infan
try assault against their position on
Martyrs’ Hill.
Hekmalyar’s tanks behind the
Muslim cemetery on the hill repeat
edly bombarded Masood’s forces in
Bala Hissar. Black smoke billowed
from inside the fort’s mud walls and
brilliant flames shot up as the shells
hit.
Regulators paid large bonuses
WASHINGTON — Thiriy-ninc
senior employees of the agency regu
lating credit unions divided nearly
half a million dollars in bonuses last
year. Many already earned six-figure
salaries. Every eligible employee
received a bonus and all but one re
ceived the maximum possible.
The bonuses, paid last year by the
National Credit Union Administra
tion but suspended this year, arc draw
ing questions from the chairman of
the House Banking Committee and
protests from a credit union trade
organization.
Credit union officials arc upset
about the bonuses because the NCU A
budget is financed entirely by the
12,800 non-profit credit unions it
regulates.
“Payment of bonuses lo selected
individuals based on merit is a laud
able management practice, but giv
ing a maximum bonus lo everyone
eligible is only a subterfuge for pay
ing higher salaries than arc warranted,”
said Kenneth L. Robinson, president
of the National Association of Fed
eral Credit Unions.
In a letter to the agency, Rep.
Henry B. Gonzalez, D-Texas, called
the bonuses “extraordinary” and
demanded a justification by May 15.
According to agency documents,
the bonuses were either 20 percent or
15 percent of salary, depending on
the position. They averaged SI 2,300.
The largest, $26,000, went to Donald
Johnson, the executive director of the
agency.
NCUA bonuses and salaries were made
publ ic earlier this month by the Credit
Union Information Service, which
publishes an independent newsletter.
In a telephone interview, Johnson
said the bonuses were part of the
agency’s effort to make its salaries
comparable with those at four other
agencies that regulate banks and sav
ings institutions.
NCUA executives arc the lowest
paid among the five agencies. This
year, its general counsel and supervi
sion director make 11 percent less
than the average at the other agen
cies. Regional office directors make
21 percent less than their counter
parts. The other agencies also pay
bonuses.
Nebraskan
Editor Jana Pedersen
472-1766
Managing Editor Kara Walls
Assoc News Editors Chris Hopfensperger
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 Leftln
John Adklsaon
Wendy Mott
Tom Kunz
Art Director Scott Maurer
General Manager Dan Shattll
Production Manager Katherine Pollcky
Advertising Manager Todd Sears
Sales Manager Eric Krlngel
Classified Ad Manager Annette Sue per
Publications Board
Chairman Bill Vobelda
472- 2566
Professional Adviser Don Walton
473- 7301
FAX NUMBER 472-1761
The Dally 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 6 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
Dally Nebraskan, Nebraska Union 34,1400 R
St ,Lincoln, NE 66586-0446. Second-class
postage paid at Lincoln, NE.
ALL MATERIAL COPYRIGHT
_1662 DAILY NEBRASKAN
Progress made in peace talks
WASHINGTON — Midcast peace
talks resumed Monday with Israel
offering to hold elections among
Palestinians in the territories and Syria
making the conciliatory gesture of
lifting restrictions on its Jewish com
munity.
Israeli spokesman Benjamin Ne
tanyahu called the offer of “pilot mu
nicipal elections” on the West Bank
and Ga/a “the largest experiment in
democracy in the Arab world.”
Palestinian spokeswoman Hanan
Ashrawi said this lime there was a
“distinct possibility” of progress.
The talks will be held through
Thursday and should be resumed in
Rome within a few weeks, Netanyahu,
acloscaidc to Prime Minister Yitzhak
Shamir, told reporters. “Today we
began a real discussion," he said.
The State Department said it ex
pected no quick breakthroughs on
Palestinian self-rule or other issues in
the fifth round of talks.
“This is going to be a hard, step
by-step process," spokeswoman
Margaret D. Tulwilcr.
Palestinian spokeswoman Ashrawi
said her delegation had received, and
would study Israel’s proposal to be
gin municipal elections among the
1.7 million Palestinian Arabs. The
idea is to choose leaders to work out
arrangements for Palestinians to take
control of their own day-to-day eco
nomic, judicial, educational and other
affairs.
Shuttle Endeavour’s first flight
delayed to take off in daylight
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. —
NASA on Monday delayed next week’s
scheduled launch of the new shuttle
Endeavour by three days so the space
ship can take off in daylight.
Endeavour was to have embarked
on the satellite-rescue mission at 8:34
p.m. EDT Monday. Liftoff is now set
for 7:06 p.m. EDT on May 7; En
deavour has until 7:55 that evening to
gel off the ground.
NASA’sacling associate adminis
trator for space (light, Tom Ulsman,
said officials reviewed the criteria
and decided il would be “prudent" to
delay the flight so detailed photo
graphs and documentation could be
made for analysis.
NASA spokesman Mark Hess could
not explain why officials didn’t opt
for a daylight launch in the first place.
Mission managers settled on a Mon
day launch just last week.
“There was some discussion of
launching in the daylight" at Wednes
day’s flight readiness review, Hess
said. Top executives did not raise any
objections at the meeting, he said.
Clinton attacks Bush,
totally ignores Brown
Governor wants to be activist president
PHTSBURuH — Bill Clinton
wrapped up the Pennsylvania pri
mary campaign Monday by attack
ing President Bush as the candi
date of “economic decline” and
ignoring Democratic rival Jerry
Brown. Jesse Jackson retreated from
an apparent call to be named Clin
ton’s running mate.
Clinton’s focus was all Bush as
theall-but-ccr
tain Demo
cratic nominee
campaigning in
Harrisburg,
Pittsburgh and
Philadelphia a
day before the
Pennsylvania primary. Polls showed
Clinton the strong favorite in the
state.
The Arkansas governor offered
himself as an activist president who
would bring national health care,
improved schools, safer streets and
a tax code that encourages invest
ment in American workers and
plants.
On each of these issues, Clinton
said, “You won’t get it unless you
change presidents.”
“The Democratic Party has to
give the American people not the
promise that we can go back to the
good old days but that the future is
bleak unless we change,” Clinton
told a crowded lunchtime rally in
Pittsburgh.
Former California Gov. Brown
returned to Philadelphia’s Independ
ence Hall and said he would con
tinue his calls for political reform
“whether it takes six months or a
year or a generation.”
“We’re going to surprise the
cynics,” Brown said. “We will win
this campaign. Whatever my own
fortunes I’ve seen enough popular
discontent to know that our move
ment, our cause, will continue.” •
There were 169 delegates at stake
in Pennsylvania’s Democratic pri
mary. Going into the primary, Clin
ton had 1,388 delegates to 271 for
Brown, with 2,145 needed to clinch
the nomination.
On the eve of the primary,
Jackson backpcdalcd on sugges
tions he should be offered the vice
presidential slot on the Democratic
ticket.
Anita Hill controversy will influence
many facets in the upcoming elections
WASHINGTON — She’s not
on any ballot, but Anita Hill seems
to have become a force in the poli
tics of 1992.
Her treatment at the hands of
the Senate Judiciary Committee
last October
during hear
ings on Clar
ence Thomas’
nomination to
the Supreme
Court still
resonates. In
Pennsylvania, Illinois and Iowa,
women are seeking seals in the
Senate as a result — two of them
hoping to oust members of the
Judiciary panel.
Political scientist James Foster
believes the hearings one day may
be regarded as pivotal, comparable
to the Supreme Court’s school
desegregation decision of the 1950s
or the civil rights struggle of the
1960s.
“I saw a group of pampered
privileged while men closing ranks
against a black woman,” says Fos
ter, who teaches classes in gender
and politics at Oregon State Uni
versity. “The hearings look on a
symbolic significance for issues of
race and gender that cut to the heart
of American society.”
Harriett Woods, president ol the
National Women’s Political Cau
cus, calls the hearings “a moment
of truth when a connection is made
between private lives and public
policy.”_