Image provided by: University of Nebraska-Lincoln Libraries, Lincoln, NE
About The daily Nebraskan. ([Lincoln, Neb.) 1901-current | View Entire Issue (Sept. 20, 2000)
News Digest Bomb kills 16, hurts more than 80 in Pakistan ■ Military leader, Gen. Perves Musharraf,calls the country's deadliest bombing this year a 'dastardly'act of terrorism. THE ASSOCIATED PRESS ISLAMABAD, Pakistan - In the deadliest bomb ing this year in Pakistan, a bomb tucked into a crate of grapes tore through a bustling produce market Tuesday, killing 16 people and wounding more than 80. Bombs in Pakistan have killed at least 74 people this year, but no one has been convicted in any of the more than 40 attacks. Pakistan’s military ruler, Gen. Pervez Musharraf, condemned Tuesday’s blast on the outskirts of Islamabad as a “dastardly act of terrorism.” Police and doctors said that 16 people were con firmed dead, and several of the Wounded were in serious condition. Pakistan has blamed rival India for many previ ous bombings, but the government made no such accusation Ttiesday. India has consistently denied any involvement. The explosion scattered grapes, apples and bananas over the grounds of the open-air market as workers were unloading crates from delivery trucks shortly before 8 a.m. The blast sent workers and shoppers stampeding from the city’s largest whole sale fruit and vegetable market “I heard the explosion and saw fruit flying in the air,” said Hasan Khan, a shop owner who was just 60 feet from the blast. “People started running and screaming. We pulled down the shutters on our shop and left.” Police detained seven truck drivers in Islamabad for questioning. Authorities later arrested three men in northwest Pakistan, near the border with Afghanistan, where the truck with grapes began its journey. The market is in a poor neighborhood, and many of the victims were Afghan refugees, who unload the dozens of trucks that arrive each day from farms. Since Musharraf seized power last October, ousting an elected civilian government, political unrest in Pakistan has declined. But with its chaotic cities, the easy availability of explosives, and a police force that has limited inves tigative skills, Pakistan is vulnerable to terrorist bombings. Many of the explosions have targeted outdoor markets, bus stations and other crowded public places in major cities such as Karachi and Lahore. Tuesday’s bombing was the first this year in Islamabad. The capital has traditionally been calm even when other Pakistani cities were aflame. Islamabad is home to many government bureaucrats, businessmen and diplomats, and does not have the huge, restless slums found in other parts of the country. Pakistan claims Indian-sponsored terrorists are behind many of the attacks, saying it is an extension of their long-running dispute over the Himalayan territory of Kashmir. The two countries trade fire almost daily in Kashmir, and have fought two of their three wars over the divided territory. Pakistan has also been plagued by infighting between domestic political factions, and periodic violence between Sunni and Shiite Muslim groups. TODAY Rain high 61, low 43 TOMORROW Partly cloudy high 69, low 49 Questions? Comments? Ask for the appropriate section editor at (402)472-2588 or e-mail: dn@unl.edu Editor: Sarah Baker Managing Editor: Bradley Davis Associate News Editor Dane Stickney Associate New Editor: Kimberly Sweet Opinion Editor: Samuel McKewon i Sports Editor: Matthew Hansen Arts Editor: Josh Nichols Copy Desk Co-Chief: Lindsay Young Copy Desk Co-Chief: Danell McCoy Photo Chief: Heather Glenboski Art Director: Melanie Falk x, Design Chief: Andrew Broer Web Editor: Gregg Stearns xll Assistant Web Editor: Tanner Graham « General Manager: Dan Shattil Publications Board Russell Willbanks, Chairman: (402) 436-7226 Professional Adviser: Don Walton, * (402) 473-7248 Advertising Manager Nick Partsch, (402)472-2589 Assistant Ad Manager Nicole Woita | Classified Ad Manager: Nikki Bruner { Circulation Manager: Imtiyaz Khan Fax Number: (402) 472-1761 World Wide Web: www.dailyneb.com The Daily Nebraskan (USPS 144-080) is published by the UNL Publications Board, ®HaEi ' 20 Nebraska Union, 1400 R St., Ljnco|n ^E 68588-0448, Monday through Friday during the academic year; weekly during the summer sessions, r- The public has access to the ^ Publications Board. \ Readers are encouraged to submit story ideas and comments to the Daily Nebraskan By calling (402) 472-2588. V \ Subscriptions are $60 for one year. Postmaster: Send address changes to the Daily Nebraskan, 20 Nebraska Union, 1400 R St., Lincoln, NE 68588-0448. Periodical postage paid at Lincoln, NE. r^ ^ ALL MATERIAL COPYRIGHT 2000 1 DAILY NEBRASKAN 160,000tires recalled Some tread separations reported on Lincolns THE ASSOCIATED PRESS WASHINGTON-About 160,000 Continental tires used as standard equipment on the Lincoln Navigator sport utility vehicle are being recalled amid reports that some of the tires lost parts of their tread. Continental AG said Hiesday that its U.S. unit will recall the 16-inch ContiTlac AS tires, which were standard equip ment on 1998 and 1999 Lincoln Navigators made by Ford Motor Co. Officials from Continental and Ford met with federal authorities Tuesday to discuss the tire’s warranty and claims data. Lincoln spokesman Jim Cain would not discuss details of the information being shared with the National Highway TTaffic Safety Administration. Continental General Tire officials said they would release a statement lay ing out their action after the meeting with NHTSA. NHTSA spokesman Rae Tyson said he had no information about what would be discussed. Ford and Continental said last week they were investigating six reports from Saudi Arabia of problems involving Continental tires on Lincoln Navigators. Two of the reports were from this year and four were from last year. The companies stressed the warran ty and claims data included no reports of major accidents, fatalities or serious injuries. Cain said there have been reports of property damage. Fewer than 40,000 Navigators were sold with the 16-inch ContiTrac AS tires as standard equipment, Cain said. He said some 1998 and 1999 models and all 2000 models of the luxury sport utility vehicle used a 17-inch version of the tire. Most of the Navigators were sold in the United States, Cain said, although some were shipped for sale overseas, including Saudi Arabia and other Persian Gulf countries. Cain said the warranty and claims data were analyzed as part of Ford’s investigation into tire failures after the Aug. 9 recall of 6.5 million Firestone ATX, ATX II and Wilderness AT tires. The tires are standard equipment on the Explorer and some other Ford vehicles. The recall came after NHTSA opened an investigation into complaints that the tread would peel off, sometimes while the vehicle was traveling at highway speeds. Most of the problems reported on the Continental tires involved only par tial tread separations, said a source with knowledge of the recall who spoke on a condition on anonymity. NHTSA said on Aug. 31 that it had received reports of at least 88 U.S. deaths and more than 250 injuries involving Firestone tires, with most of the acci dents involving rollovers of the Explorer. The agency planned to update the num bers Hiesday. Firestone has acknowledged prob lems with its tires, but also says the Explorer’s design may have contributed to the accidents. Ford has insisted it is solely a tire problem. The Associated Press ■ Florida Shuttle crew prepares for pre-dawn landing CAPE CANAVERAL - Space shuttle Atlantis and its crew aimed for a pre-dawn touchdown today to cap a successful mission to the international space station. Space shuttles have landed in darkness only 14 times before. Nighttime landings are becoming more common, though, now that NASA has a space station in orbit All three previous shuttle flights to the space station also ended in darkness. During their five days inside the space station, Atlantis’ astro nauts and cosmonauts hauled in 3 tons of equipment for the first permanent crew. Another shuttle crew is sched uled to depart for the space sta tion on Oct. 5 aboard Discovery. The first space station residents will follow on Oct. 30 aboard a Russian rocket, arriving two days later for a four-month stay. ■ Washington, D.C. Senate votes to normalize trade with China The Senate voted Tuesday to permanently normalize trade with China, opening the world’s most populous nation to American products, services and ideas about capitalism and democracy. The 83-15 vote, sending the bill to the president for his signa ture, represents the biggest step in U.S.-China relations since President Nixon’s 1972 visit to the Great Wall and ends the divisive annual debates over U.S. trade policy toward the Communist country. In die end, those arguing that the United States must do more to bring China into the international community prevailed over critics warning that Congress was put ting profits ahead of principle. The House passed PNTR, or the permanent normal trade rela tions bill, last May, and President Clinton, backed by a powerful coalition of business and farm groups, has hailed it as one of the most important events in U.S. China relations since Nixon reopened contact almost three decades ago. ■ Philippines Filipino president urges release of hostages ZAMBOANGA- Muslim guer rillas continued to elude thou sands of military troops seeking to rescue 19 hostages from a southern Philippine jungle Tuesday, despite reports that some of the captives had been seen alive. Thousands of civilians fled from the sporadic clashes on remote Jolo island, and thou sands of others were trapped inside a tight military blockade of rebel areas, refugees said. President Joseph Estrada said he would only halt the four-day assault if the Abu Sayyaf rebels free all their captives, including six foreigners. “Let them release the hostages, and that’s the time we can talk,” he said. Officials said some of the fleeing rebels were attempting to escape to nearby islands, but Estrada said there was no information any had been able to break through naval ship patrols. The rebels are believed to have speedboats bought with some of the more than $15 mil lion ransom they reportedly received from Libya and Malaysia for freeing other hostages. Darren McNamara/Allsport-Newsmakers U.S. POWER: Vince Carter of Team USA controls the ball Tuesday during the men's basketball preliminaries against Italy at the Sydney Superdome in the fourth day of the 2000 Olympic Games in Sydney, Australia. The Americans won the game 93-61. Women's gymnastics lands in fourth place THE ASSOCIATED PRESS SYDNEY, Australia - The American women finally let loose, filling the floor with group hugs, team cheers and even a bit of flir tatious sex appeal. In other corners, leggy Russian Svetlana Khorkina wept her way through another Olympic disappointment and tiny Andreea Raducan became the latest Romanian darling to win gold. The Americans finished a dis appointing fourth, but it was still a riveting night of gymnastics - their best since winning gold at the Atlanta Olympics. All “glitz and glitter,” as Bela Karolyi likes to say. That’s why it seemed crazy that Karolyi, a 58 year-old man sitting on press row in a sportscoat, was the center of attention. Romania broke through years of frustration to win the gold medal Tuesday by 0.205 points over favored Russia, which took silver for the second straight time. China won the bronze, denying the United States a medal by a comfortable 1.075 points. “It’s a big victory for Romania, a big victory for our Olympic movement,” Romanian Coach Octavian Belu said. “We come from a small coun try. Now, these girls have a chance to be seen. Two billion people around the world will finally know who they are.” Still, they’ll probably never have the mass appeal - or the abil ity to unite and divide - quite like the sport’s most famous Romanian. USA Gymnastics brought Karolyi back 10 months ago to rebuild a team stinging from a dis astrous sixth-place finish at world championships. The Olympics were the culmination of a project in which he called all the shots. His team came up short. Now, he must answer all the questions, and not all of them are going to be easy. “He takes the credit when we do good and blames everyone when we do bad," said Jamie Dantzscher, a frequent Karolyi target who had the night of her life. “It’s so not fair." So almost to spite Karolyi, the 18-year-old spitfire put on one of the most electric performances of the night. She strutted onto the floor, tumbling high and never budging on her landings. She finished the routine by pointing at the judges, but not before batting her eyes toward the corner of the arena - right where Karolyi was sitting. She scored a 9.7 on the floor to go with a 9.712 on her uneven bars routine, the same one Karolyi scratched her from Sunday in pre liminaries when the Americans endured a sixth-place finish. On that first day, Karolyi looked like a caged animal, brood ing in the stands as his team missed routine after routine. He talked about how badly the team needed a motivator on the floor-not just the calm influences of Coaches Kelli Hill and Steve Rybacki. It could have been him out there, and many people thought it would be, until the meet started and Karolyi took his seat. “Obviously, attitude was the difference,” Karolyi said. “It was a better attitude, a stronger attitude, an attitude that was geared toward success.” Hijacked plane goes down off Key West; at least 9 saved THE ASSOCIATED PRESS MIAMI - A sea plane taking off from Cuba was hijacked Tuesday morning and went down in rough international waters off Key West with up to 18 people aboard, authorities said. One person was killed and nine were rescued, the Coast Guard said. It was not clear if the plane, which is able to land on water, had crashed or had landed after run ning out of fuel. A Coast Guard jet carrying rafts, a Coast Guard cutter and two Florida Air National Guard fighter jets reached the area Tuesday afternoon but report ed no immediate sightings. However, a U.S. AWACS plane picked up an emer gency beacon in the area, White House press secretary Joe Ixjckhart told reporters. Later, the Pentagon said nine people were pulled from the wreckage and one body was recovered. The nine were picked up by a passing cargo ship, the Chios Dream, and were to be flown by helicopter to Key West for medical treat ment, Coast Guard Petty Officer Danielle DeMarino said from Miami. Their condi tions were not immediately available. A search for others possibly on board the plane continued. The Russian-made Antonov AN-2 Colt took off from Herradura Airport in ‘The water’s very warm, and that really extends your ability to stay alive. That’s why we’re extending so many assets.” Jim McPherson Coast Guard Pinar del too, Luba, and went down about 90 miles south west of Key West and 75 miles northwest of Havana, U.S. officials said. The area is southwest of the Marquesas, a group of rocky, uninhabited islands stretching 15 to 20 miles west of Key West, Coast Guard Petty Officer Steven Carriere said. "Apparently it was hijacked, and the pilot indi cated they only had 1 V2 hours fuel,” said Lauren Gail Stover, associate director of Miami-Dade County Aviation Department. The Federal Aviation Administration received unconfirmed reports of 14, 16 or 18 people on the plane. Coast Guard Lt. Prince Neal said there was a report of two children aboard. Seas in the area were 4 to 6 feet, rough condi tions for small boats or small float planes, the Coast Guard said. However, the water temperature was warm. “The water’s very warm, and that really extends your ability to stay alive. That’s why we’re extending so many assets,” Coast Guard Cmdr. Jim McPherson said. The plane disappeared from U.S. radar shortly before 11 a.m., Stover said. The loss of radar contact didn’t mean the plane had crashed. The long-range single-engine bush plane is equipped with pontoons for taking off and landing on water. It is used for passenger flights, crop-dust ing and forest fire suppression. Air traffic control in Havana notified the air traffic control center in Miami at 8:45 a.m. that an aircraft was being hijacked and flying northwest out of Cuba, said Kathleen Bergen, an FAA spokes woman in Atlanta. , The FAA had no voice or radar contact with the aircraft, Bergen said. Jose Zavala, a supervisor at Cuba’s Institute of Civil Aeronautics in Havana, said by telephone the plane was used for agricultural work. He declined to provide any other details. A similar aircraft was stolen by its pilot and four other Cubans and flown to Miami on June 19,1991. That plane landed safely at Miami International Airport, directed in by air-traffic con trollers who had both radar and radio contact with the pilot after he began his flight to Florida. ■ The Netherlands Prosecutor will not accept immunity deal for Milosevic THE HAGUE—The U.N. war crimes tribunal will “never, never, never” accept an immunity deal for Yugoslav President Slobodan Milosevic, the chief prosecutor said Tuesday. Prosecutor Carla Del Ponte said investigators were in fact preparing to expand Milosevic’s indictment for war crimes in Kosovo to include atrocities dur ing the 1992-95 Bosnian War and genocide. Responding to reports earlier this year that the U.S. government might offer Milosevic an immuni ty deal if he steps down from poli tics, Del Ponte said she would never allow such an outcome.
