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About The daily Nebraskan. ([Lincoln, Neb.) 1901-current | View Entire Issue (Oct. 31, 1997)
Failed bombing claimed by IRA group ■ The Continuity IRA targets a British building, but the explosive fails to detonate fully. BELFAST, Northern Ireland (AP) — Irish Republican Army dissidents tried to wreck a British government building in Northern Ireland’s second-largest city Thursday, but their bomb failed to explode fully and no one was hurt. The Continuity IRA, a shadowy group that emerged in 1995 during a previous IRA cease-fire, later claimed responsibility and warned there would be “no peace in Ireland” until their demands were met. The abortive attack came as Britain announced plans to reform its anti-terrorist laws in response to declining violence in Northern Ireland. Today, first lady Hillary Rodham Clinton travels to Belfast to deliver speeches on the importance of women and youth in peace making efforts. A masked gunman had carried a gym bag containing the bomb into an office building in Londonderry, 70 miles northwest of Belfast, and warned a receptionist before fleeing. Police evacuated more than 300 workers. The detonator went off about 20 minutes later, but police said the bulk of the bomb - about 1.5 pounds of Semtex commercial explosive and two gallons of gasoline - failed to explode. The presence of Semtex provided the clearest evidence yet that not all members of the mainstream IRA support the current truce. The IRA smuggled more than 2 tons of Czech-made Semtex from Libya to Ireland in the mid-1980s and has often used it to devastating effect. In its statement, the Continuity IRA crit icized negotiations in Belfast that aim to find a compromise way to govern Northern Ireland. The group reiterated three traditional demands: All British troops must be with drawn from Northern Ireland, all IRA pris oners must be released, and politicians must agree on a new constitution to unite the north with the rest of Ireland, which won independence from Britain in 1922. The Belfast talks began in June 1996 and gained momentum after the IRA resumed a truce in July. The British and Irish govern ments, which co-sponsor the talks, admitted the IRA-allied Sinn Fein party to the discus sions last month. One of Sinn Fein’s senior politicians in Londonderry, Dodie McGuinness, criticized the Continuity IRA for “trying to undermine the peace process.” But pro-British Protestant politicians asserted the attack was part of a Sinn Fein IRA plan to increase pressure for conces sions at the talks. Also Thursday, a telephoned bomb warn ing from the Continuity IRA forced police to close down the center of Armagh, 40 miles southwest of Belfast. No bomb was found. The day after Sinn Fein joined the nego tiations, the Continuity IRA claimed responsibility for a 500-pound car bomb that wrecked a rural police station near Armagh. , Editor: Paula Lavigne Managing Editor: Julie Sobczyk Associate Ftewi Editor: Rebecca Stone Assistant News Editor: Jeff Randall Assignment Editor: Chad Lorenz Opinion Editor: Matthew Waite Sports Editor: Mike Kluck Questions? Comments? Ask for the appropriate section editor at A&E Editor: Jim Goodwin (402) 472-2588 or e-mail dn@unlinfo.unl.edu. Copy Desk Chkft: Nancy Zywiec Fax number: (402) 472-1761 SZfS1 The Daiy Nebraskan (USPS144-000) is published by the UNL^i^ons Board, Nebraska Union 34, tatineEdhor! VwSm8 1400 R St, Lincoln, NE 68588-0448, Monday througn Friday duming the academic year; weekly during Asst Online Editor: Amy Pemberton the summer sessions.The public has access to the Publications Board. Readers are encouraged to submit story ideas and comments to the Daily Nebraskan by calling General Manager: DanShattil (402)472-2588. Publications Board Melissa Myles, Subscriptions are $55 for one year. „ . P-kT”?”11 (^°2)^2446 Postmaster Send address changes to the Daily Nebraskan, Nebraska Union 34,1400 R St, Lincoln NE Professional Adviser: Eton Walton 685880448. Periodical postgepaid at Lincoln, NE. .. .. SKM2201 ALLMATERIALOOPYRIGHT1887 AdwrtisingManager: NkklWh THE DALY NEBRASKAN (402)472-2589 me u#ult neonASMin Assistant Ad Manager: Daniel Lam * While Rose Collectibles White Rose Collectibles White Rose Collectibles White Rose Collectibles ■*i ^ _________________ ^ . .... .Wf.rr.1.n.11irr. ___ _ i tibles <8 Manufactured by Matchbox a 3 •** © it ©H 0 y © © g © ■u M 5 58 © 3 *w* © © © y © 58 © g © M 9 58 © 3 © © a © y 1 © g © ** | SB ;- v*r ' ■ : « " I *"* A •mt 9 • 5 . yy - ■ - -,. • ! ._ _f‘A M A S&H charge will be applied to all orders. 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The bill, similar to one already cleared by the Senate, passed after a majority of lawmakers rejected a string of amendments from Nevada’s gs two House members. | The House approved the measure J 307-120, a margin big enough to » overturn the veto President Clinton I has threatened. * Critics argued the wastes should » remain at power plants because the * shipments could pose new safety Z risks, while sponsors of the legisla « tion said the government proniised * the nuclear industry 15 years ago it | would take responsibility for the used % reactor fuel. * Rep. Edward Markey, D-Mass., s called it the “mobile Chernobyl” bill I and said it raises the risk of a nuclear £ accident during waste transport in 43 ~ states. The bill s sponsors countered X that the wastes can be shipped safely. Despite the solid margin of victo I* ry — well more than the two-thirds g needed to override a presidential veto £ — the bill is not certain of becoming t law. The Senate fell two votes shy — 8 65-34 earlier this year — of the mar l gin that would be needed to override the president. L The legislation calls for cons true | tion of a temporary above-ground 1 waste storage facility near Yucca ■« Mountain on land formerly part of B the federal Nevada nuclear bomb test jp site. It would begin accepting used + reactor fuel in 2002. g Nevada’s lawmakers said the jr House was forcing their state to » accept thousands of tons of nuclear } material that no one wants in their f back yard because it will stay highly l radioactive for thousands of years, jr “This bill ignores private proper ly ty rights and it ignores state’s rights,” a declared Rep. John Ensign, R-Nev. E But his efforts to give governors veto ? power over waste shipments failed 8 312-112. “The people in support of this bill •y are the ones who have nuclear wastes L in their districts and want to get it out [ — get it from wherever it is into the £ state of Nevada,” complained Rep. » i Jim Gibbons, R-Nev. Sponsors argued that the govern ment promised 15 years ago to build a centralized storage facility for the used reactor fuel rods now kept at 71 commercial nuclear power plants in 31 states. With more than 30,000 tons of wastes already piled up, utilities have complained that they’re running out of space in storage pools at reac tor sites. This “puts us on the verge of solv ing one of the nation’s top environ mental challenges,” said Joe Colvin, president of the Nuclear Energy Institute, the industry’s trade group, in a statement. The used fuel rods would be kept at the Nevada facility in metal con tainers inside concrete bunkers until a permanent underground burial site is found and developed. But Nevada officials fear that die permanent site may never get approved and they will be stuck with the temporary facility for decades to come. The Clinton administration has opposed the bill on grounds it would distract from efforts to approve a per manent underground waste reposito ry. One is being considered^ Yucca Mountain near the proposed tempo rary storage facility, but the govern ment is not expected to determine until next year whether it is geologi cally suitable. It would not be com pleted until 2010 at the earliest. Gibbons and Ensign, who criti cized their own party’s leaders for curtailing the number of amendments they could offer, argued the wastes should be kept at reactor sites, avoid ing transportation risks. “No reactor in the United States has ever shut down because they were running out of storage space. There’s plenty of room,” declared Ensign. But Rep. Fred Upton, R-Mich., a sponsor of the bill, said transferring the fuel rods to a centralized storage facility in an isolated location increases safety, compared to keep ing the wastes at power plants near population centers or in environmen tally sensitive locations. The bill “assures another 15 years will not pass before the federal gov ernment lives up to its responsibility of accepting spent fuel,” said Rep. Dennis Hastert, R-IU., whose state has a dozen reactors, the most of any state, and hundreds of tons of old fuel rods. f -k Chei gii ■5 l .. i r www.ui fes" F«--.' r-v-'--: k*& t
