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About The daily Nebraskan. ([Lincoln, Neb.) 1901-current | View Entire Issue (March 15, 1996)
Bh=‘“ NewsDgest Friday, March 15,1996 Page 2 Chinese mock attacks may move to new area TAIPEI, Taiwan — Despit signs that China may be cxpandin: its war games to a new area nca Taiwanese waters, Taiwan’s presi dent has ruled out sending an envo; to Beijing to appeal for a halt to thi exercises, his office confirmed Fri day. President Lee Teng-hui has rc jcctcd the idea out of concern tha conciliatory gestures would onl; fuel China’s belligerence, his of fice said. On Thursday, Lee flew to is lands near the military exercise and said Chinese leaders arc “scare( to death” of Taiwanese democrac> Chinese warplanes held a thir< day of mock attacks southwest o Taiwan, and also conducted “prc liminary exercises” near Fuzhou, < Chinese coastal city 100 miles wes of Taiwan’s northern tip, the Tai wanese Defense Ministry reported Taiwan had warned that Chirn may be planning even bigger exer cises before the island’s presiden tial election March 23 in an attempi to discourage Taiwan from declar ing independence. Lee, who is running for anothei term, was smiling and looked re laxed as he addressed a crowd ir the Pescadores archipelago, 4f miles from where Chinese ship* and planes were staging mock at tacks. Wearing a tan windbreaker and sneakers, the 73-year-old Lee ap pealed for unity and reminded the islanders of his efforts to democra tize Taiwan politics. “These arc the things the Chi nese Communists dare not do: po litical liberalization, freedom and i “The reunification of [ the country is of vital [ importance to the Chinese people. ” Article in China Daily t — ■■ { democracy,” he said. “They see - freedom and democracy and they are scared to death.” The Nationalist government fled 5 to Taiwan in 1949 after losing a 1 civil war on the mainland to the . Communists. China accuses Lee of I now discarding the doctrine of re f unification Beijing and Taipei had . shared. i Meanwhile, an article in a state l run Chinese newspaper on Thurs - day suggested an effort to rally the • citizenry behind the cause of quash l ing pro-independence sentiment in Taiwan. “The reunification of the coun try is of vital importance to the Chinese people. To accomplish it, any cost might have to be justified,” said the article in China Daily. Despite the confrontational words from Beijing, U.S. Defense Secretary William Perry said it was unlikely the maneuvers would es calate into war. “I believe the Chinese military exercises in the Taiwan Straits prob ably will not lead to a military con flict,” Perry said at a press confer ence in Caracas, Venezuela, which he was visiting. “I believe they are trying to intimidate the Taiwanese before the elections.” Clinton leaves Israel, Money, ad blitz took Forbes far WASHINGTON — Steve Forbes dropped his improbable quest for the GOP presidential nomination Thurs day after using $30 million of his for tune to push closer to the prize than most anyone had expected. “I made the best investment any of us can make,” Forbes told supporters at a Washington hotel, surrounded by his wi fe, Sabina, and Five daughters. “I tried to make my country a better, stronger and Finer place.” Forbes’ candidacy was largely dis missed when he joined the race six months ago. But with a self-Financed TV advertising blitz, Forbes got his name and flat-tax idea before voters, briefly appeared to threaten Dole and won primaries in Delaware and Ari zona before trailing ofT into a string of defeats. In the process, Forbes’ campaign clearly illustrated the importance money—and advertising—plays in determining who is competitive for the White House, and who can’t even make the starting line. “You have to have lots of cash. And there’s only two ways you can get it— either you’re wealthy yourself, or you go hat-in-hand to special interest groups,” said Josh Goldstein of the Center for Responsive Politics, a Washington group that tracks political spending. In contrast to Forbes, GOP hope fuls California Gov. Pete Wilson and Pennsylvania Sen. Arlcn Specter dropped out early — long before any voters went to the polls — in part because of lack of money. And such top prospects as Jack Kemp, William Bennett and former Vice President Dan Quaylc never joined the race given the challenge of matching Dole’s fund-raising prow ess. Overall, Forbes won 900,545 votes — about 16 percent of those cast, putting him third behind Dole and the only remaining challenger, Pat Buchanan. The vast majority of his $30 million investment went lor ad vcrtising. Forbes contended his pro-growth ideas, not his commercials and spend ing, propelled his candidacy. “The American people are not for sale,” he said. In fact, Forbes’ failure to win indi cated a millionaires’ pockets alone can’t guarantee political victory. But money is clearly crucial: In each presidential contest since 1976, the candidate who has raised the most money by Jan. 1 of the election year, and taken federal matching funds, has won his party’s nomination. Forbes launched his presidential campaign with TV ads promoting the flat tax, but moved quickly to ads that harshly criticized Dole for voting to raise taxes and being a “Washington insider.” Though many felt the negative ads backfired against Forbes, turning off voters who knew little about him, they also dragged Dole down. Dole blamed them, in part, for his disappointing showings in New Hampshire and Ari zona. Asked if he still resented the fact that Forbes had attacked him so harshly, Dole said Thursday, “I don’t try to hold grudges. I just try to keep moving ahead.” Forbes swore off the negative ads after New Hampshire, turning prima rily again to commercials promoting the flat tax, school choice and medical savings accounts. Still smiling in defeat, he pledged to continue to fight for “growth, hope and opportunity”—ideas he says are embodied in a flat tax, term limits and a new system of Social Security. Of the flat tax, Forbes said: “The concept, the principle has already won the hearts and minds ofthe Republican Party.” And he left open the possibility he would be back to push his ideas in Big spender delegates. BecauseTelynded his own campaign, he didn’t have to follow the same campaign finance rules as Bob Dote anaPat Buchanan and had spent about $30 million. Total spent $30 Number of delegates 741 76 ifj^ 72 Per dalegata (figures are rounded) $394,737 $147,222 $29,150 Ipfe Forbes Dole Buchanan Ross Perot, the biggest spender in any presidential contest, also funded his campaign. In 1992... Total spent Mss Number of votes 44.9 ,Q 1 197 ^ nSw Per vote $3.19 ^pj $1^ »n* Porot Clinton Bush Source. Federal Election Commission, AP research. Delegate counts ate as of March 14; 1996 spending totals are as of Jan. 31. AP another race, saying, “I don’t rule in or rule out anything. I learned that in politics.” pledges to fight terror New AIDS drug virtually wipes out JERUSALEM—Grieving with the Israeli people, President Clinton pledged $100 million on Thursday to the fight against terrorism. But he ac knowledged that no one — not presi dents or princes or prime ministers— can guarantee “a risk-free world.” In an emotional trip that coupled meetings with Israeli Prime Minister Shimon Peres with a visit to the grave of Peres’ slain predecessor, Yitzhak Rabin, Clinton imagined aloud how Americans would react to the terror ism that confronts Israel. “Our people would be off the wall. They would be angry. They would be furious. They would want action,” he said. To that end, Clinton pledged the $ 100 million over two years to pay for anti-terrorism initiatives, including training, bomb-detection scanners, X ray systems and robotics for handling suspect packages. Israeli officials said they envisioned using much of the U.S. aid to help establish a separation zone with the West Bank to try to prevent terrorist infiltration. The idea of the zone, which would include electronic fences, guard lowers and bomb-sniffing dogs, was first proposed by Rabin and was ap proved by the Israeli Cabinet March 3. In Washington, however, a State Department official said, “The United States does not intend for any of its aid to be used in any kind of permanent separation zone.” Clinton intends to use $50 million already approved by Congress, and is asking for another $50 million for the fiscal year that begins in October. “Fear must be conquered, security must be restored and peace must 1x2 pursued,” Clinton said. Shlomo Dror, spokesman for the Is rael army liaison with the Palestinians, said the U.S. government was being asked to provide special training for bomb-sniffing dog units and for elec tronic equipment to be used along the separation line. Israel also needs heli copters and all-terrain vehicles to help patrol the zone, he said. The proposal has been denounced by Palestinian leaders. Clinton left Israel Thursday evening, leaving behind a team of U.S. officials including CIA Director John Dcutch and Secretary of State Warren Chris topher to work on an anti-terrorism accord. The aim is to complete an agreement before Peres visits Wash ington late next month. At a joint news conference with Clinton, Peres promised that the peace process would continue, although he said the terrorist attacks on Israel made it more complicated. virus in some infected patients’ blood WASHINGTON—Merck & Co.’s powerful new AIDS drug, a medicine that wipes out much of the deadly virus in patients’ blood, won govern ment approval Thursday. Indinavir was approved by the Food and Drug Administration in a record 42 days — and just two weeks after Abbott Laboratories’ competing ritonavir was cleared. But indinavir’s rush to the market may pose a dilemma for some pa tients. Merck is controlling prescrip tions for the first six months to ensure it has enough supply, and AIDS pa tients wonder which of the new medi cines will give them the best chance for survival. Also Thursday, the FDA moved to strengthen the safety of the nation’s bkxxl supply, approving a new test to help find blood donors newly infected with HIV, the virus that causes AIDS. Donors now arc tested for an im mune reaction to HIV, but it can take up to 25 days after HIV infection for that reaction to occur. Miami-based Coulter Corp.’s antigen test detects the virus itself about six days earlier. Although getting HIV from a blood transfusion today is extremely rare— about 40 cases from some 14 million units of blood — closing the testing “window” will prevent five to 10 such infections a year, the FDA said. Blood banks must use the new test by mid-June. But the test has a drawback: It could label several thousand healthy donors a year as infected when they’re not, so blood banks must push proper follow-up testing, the Centers for Dis ease Control and Prevention warned. Meanwhile, studies show indinavir, to be sold as the brand Crixivan, can virtually obliterate HIV from the blood cells of many patients. That’s not a cure or even proof that patients will live longer—HIV lurks elsewhere in the body and the small amounts left in the blood can rebound. But studies have shown that the less HIV in the bloodstream, the better the prognosis. NefcJraskan Editor J. Christopher Hain Night News Editors Rebecca Oltmans 472-1766 Melanie Branded Managing Editor Doug Kouma Anne Hjersman Assoc. News Editors Matt Waite Beth Narans Sarah Sea let Art Director Aaron Steckelberg Opinion Page Editor Doug Peters General Manager Dan Shattil Wire Editor Michelle Gamer Advertising Manager Amy Struthers Copy Desk Editor Tim Pearson Asst. Advertising Manager Laura Wilson Sports Editor Mitch Sherman Classified Ad Manager Tiffiny C. Clifton Arts & Entertainment Editor Jeff Randall Photo Directors Scott Bruhp Publications Board Chairman Tim Hedegaard, 436-6253 - Travis Heying Professional Adviser Don Walton, 473-7301 http://www.unl.edu/DailyNeb/ FAX NUMBER 472-1761 The Daly Nebraskan(USPS 144-080) is published by the UNL Publications Board, Nebraska Union 34,1400 R St., Lincoln, NE 68588-0448 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 Tim Hedegaard, 436-9253 9 a m -11 d m Subscription price is $50 for one year. K' ‘ Postmaster: Send address changes to the Daily Nebraskan, Nebraska Union 34,1400 R St.,Lincoln, NE 68588-0448. 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