Of the $24b promised to Russia by G7 1 yr ago, they got $9b + $2.5b in being allowed to defer paying interest on debt (Russians also failing to pay principle). Now, a new G7 promise-fest
Clinton caved, amazingly quickly even for him, to Western Congresscritters who threatened to oppose his econ program unless he killed proposal to raise fee for grazing on pub lands & est royalties for metals mined there
-And allowed a toxic waste incinerator Gore promised to keep closed to open. Of course, Hillary was in the incinerator business. EPA chief Browner recused herself, leaving it to a Bush holdover
-Now the Forest Summit, i.e., sacrificing owls & forests to the loggers. Of course, if we were so concerned about jobs, we might not send so many raw logs abroad to be milled
-When Sup Court Feb. allowed stand the Delaney Clause against carcinogens in processed foods, Browner said she wanted it to relax to allow cont. use of 35 pesticides. This would be based on risk assessment – max 1 death / million exposed to max amount of pesticide, but based only on animal tests & ignores multiple exposures (fruits & veg sprayed w/3-8 pesticides) & ignores that children eat more fruit & grain & so forth per pound of body weight, thus taking in 5-14X more pesticides per pound than adults
Drug comps threatening to stop producing new vaccines if Clinton immunizes all children as planned
Bosnian Serbs letting UN take refugees out, but no food in. So UN working as adjunct of ethnic cleansing
4/2/93
RR & Bush people scrambling on their cover-up of Salvadoran atrocities. Anthony Lewis says the CIA knew who shot Archbishop Romero. Haig says he never said that the 4 nuns ran a roadblock, just repeating Salvadoran gov theory. He did. Enders denied covering up the El Mozote massacre. Elliott Abrams finds nothing to apologize for, calling Salvadoran policy a “fabulous achievement.” NYT is self-righteously resurrecting the attacks by gov & Wall St J & Time on their reporter Raymond Bonner, who uncovered El Mozote 1981, none mentioning that they pulled him out & demoted him to business
Although chancellor Norman Lamont said would offer compensation to BCCI depositors if Bank of Eng hadn’t done its job. The Parl cmte report says it didn’t, but Tories eliminated the report’s conclusion, so nothing
Philip Morris to knock prices down 20%
Seymour Hersh New Yorker 3/29/93 on India-Pakistan near-nuclear war 1990. Says Benazir Bhutto was cut out of nuclear decisions. I recall a number of clashes near Kashmir, massive deployments of troops on the border, and a sense that this would be the next big India-Pak. war. Then, nothing. But there were nukes involved, which has been hidden because of Afghan war, along with all other evidence of Pakistan’s nuclear program. From 1985, president had to certify Pakistan’s non-nuclear status for it to get foreign aid, though P. buying more in US than Iraq. Started 1986 when India had large-scale military exercise involving up to 400,000 troops, a few hundred miles from border, and integrating tactical nukes into maneuvers. Pakistan moved its army to w/in firing range. Gen. Sundarji, in charge, at least considered moving in & splitting Pakistan in ½. At which pt, a scientist announced that Pakistan had the bomb, but soon recanted, to prevent embarrassment to the US. CIA had plans for P. uranium-enrichment plant while still under construction. P. efforts expanded 1987, by when had at least the capacity (enriched uranium) to build. What US didn’t know was whether Bhutto, elected Nov88, was ever told anything; so 1989 CIA briefed her to be sure, and Bush threatened her w/not certifying Pakistan in 1990, but would sell 60 F-16s. But generals wanted to keep it & Gen. Beg, army chief of staff after Zia died, had found God, unfortunately, He was in Iran. Kashmir was the only state not allowed to vote on self-determination 1947; 2/3 went to India, UN mandating a plebiscite, which never held, both countries insisting the other withdraw troops – officially, UN says it is an occupied territory whose fate has yet to be determined, like the West Bank. Jan90, Ind police fired on pro-ind. demonstrators, killing 50; Pakistan training Kashmiri Muslims & putting them over border. As hundreds killed & troops moved in by both sides, P. Air Force training in dropping a bomb. Bhutto visited a training camp & promised $5m to “freedom fighters.” Spr90 NSA said that Beg authorized nukes to be put together. Pakistan was seen evacuating workers from the bomb plant, as if expected a retaliation to their 1st strike [or a preemptive, really]. Trucks seen evidently moving nukes, as highways cleared; F-16s seen prepositioned & armed. P. was telling US it had intelligence (and P & India’s intelligence tended to be exaggerated) that India prepared to invade. Robert Gates, then deputy nat sec adviser, was sent to negotiate, and Gates told Hersh he thought it would go nuclear. But Bhutto stood him up. He told Beg that Pentagon had war-gamed all scenarios, and in none did P. win. Got India to let Amer. attachés go to front & see that India closing down exercised; by June, crisis over. Bush never cut off aid, and Pakistan & India both refuse inspection & deny that they have nukes. A CIA analyst who worked w/Commerce to get a Pakistani arrested for buying special steel & who told the truth to Congress, found himself removed from Pakistan & resigned. Moved to Pentagon’s Office of Non-Proliferation Policy, where proved that Pakistan modifying F-16s for nukes, just as Bush selling them 60 more & claiming they weren’t being so used. Barlow was fired after complaining that their testimony was wrong. FOIA shows that his superiors were afraid he’d go to Stephen Solarz & tell the truth. Investigation cleared him of being a nat security threat, but clearance not restored & he was offered settlement not to complain to anyone.
-A different slant would be that Pakistan’s action consistent not just w/a MAD scenario, but w/dispersal to prevent an attack like that of Israel on Iraq early 1980s, which is dangerous enough. Also note that this was covered up by US exactly like SA’s nuclear capability
4/3/93
Clinton unfreezes aid to Nicaragua, held up by Jesse Helms last June
Bosnian Serb parl rejects even conditional acceptance of peace plan
4/4/93
Of the 122 nonprofit groups raising the most money, at least 99 pay execs >$100,000
Israel serious about reducing use of Occupied Palestinians in Israel proper. Since Gulf War, those given permits to work in Israel declined 30%. Since the Occupied again currently locked up, gov using Army to work on farms (even in Gaza, for settlers), & may use inmates
At summit, Clinton pledges $1.6b to Yeltsin, much of it to private sector, & $700m in grain credits payable over very long-term (i.e., aid to US farmers). And much for decommissioning nukes, which hardly helps Russians
Bosnian Muslims stop UN evacuating Srebrenica, helping ethnic cleansing
Hillary – the good Yoko.
Russia VP Ruskoi says he knows of $59m in aid to Russia stolen – he says 60% – *profit* $59m
Br gov drops claim that homosexual acts in prison always illegal, which allowed them to deny them condoms. Now given if on leave or released
New Indonesian VP & heir-apparent Sutrisno on E Timor massacre Nov91: “It is necessary to fire on those who do not follow the official line. [The Army] is determined to eliminate whoever disturbs stability.” Sutrisno was then head of armed forces
4/5/93
CIA report says not only will sanctions not stop fighting in Bosnia, but Serbs are selling arms abroad to raise cash. Warren Christopher says diplomacy should continue – the Sudeten Serbs “left the door open” to the UN peace plan, only rejecting it 68-0.
If Russia has only gotten ½ of the $24b promised last yr, the other republics, promised $20b, have gotten 0. Russian Cent. Bank hostile to Yeltsinomics, so hasn’t curbed loans or subsidies or released data. Pravda failed to send any reporters to the summit
Minnesota the 8th state to ban discrim against gays (w/CA, NJ, Conn, Hawaii, VT, Wisc)
ACLU changes policy on sexual harassment, saying it need not be aimed at an indiv
NRA-created loopholes: ATF prohibited from computerizing or unifying gun-ownership records, so cops still have to visit every gun shop. Machine gun sales outlawed 1986 – exc those made before 1986. ATF banned from researching use of taggants to individualize explosives. Feds must give applicants for gun dealers’ license w/in 45 days, even if can’t complete check – dogs & corpses have wholesalers’ licenses – and fed licenses work even w/out local permits. Got ATF prohibited from inspecting any gun dealer more than once/yr
At summit, Clinton evidently promised Yeltsin to postpone UN tightening sanctions on Yugoslavia until after April 25 referendum
4/6/93
Exxon not only destroyed part of Alaska in 1989, but chemical dispersants damaged the respiratory systems of 100s of cleanup workers
Since 1918 in Br, 481 women have stood for Labour, 484 for Libs, 245 Tories, Greens 137, total 1,721. 166 women MPs. That’s in 21 elections for 600+ seats
Andorra passed a const giving it foreign policy & judicial system; pol parties & unions & non-Cath. religions legalized. Divorce & abortion still illegal
Canada’s Mackinnon-Dworkin anti-porn law has indeed been used almost exclusively against gay erotica. Ontario judge ruled gay stuff “degrading” & “dehumanizing” because they depicted sex between men
The Marine who shot 2 Somali teenagers after 1 stole his sunglasses, was fined $1,706, reduced in rank
Clinton to seek to extend health coverage of Fed employees to inc abortion
Last yr, the Fr son of parents killed WW2 started smuggling out documents, 12,000, on Fr internment camps, deportation. A 1979 law extended secrecy period. 900,000-1.2m interned 1939-46, inc 600,000 Spanish. Camps open till late 1946, housing collaborators & even more foreigners, some of whom “transferred” – & never heard of again. The nat RR 2 mos after Normandy billed Haute-Garonne for transferring prisoners to Ger. They paid late 1944. The banalité of evil
4/7/93
IRS finds Jerry Falwell engaged in pol activities, retroactively revokes his groups’ tax-exempt status. Part of the settlement was that Falwell would mail the details to news organizs, none of which cared, so IRS now announces it
Why no War Crimes Tribunal for Cambodia, even though UN Human Rights Commission 1979 talked of crimes the worst since Nazism, asks John Pilger? In fact, the UN peace plan said member govs wouldn’t try any such thing, & the new const would also ban trials. In 14 yrs, no W gov voted against Pol Pot representing his victims at UN, while SAS have been training them. Boutros-Ghali says Cambodians “cannot expect the internat. community to succeed where they themselves fail.” – but not devt aid ever got there & UN blockaded. Meanwhile, someone killing off UN people preparing the farcical elections in May
In Kosovo, Milosevic fired 80% of Albanians, barred them from schools & U’s, & disarmed them. 300,000 have fled. But NSS writer Liam McDouall says we shouldn’t give in to Albanian nationalism which refuses to discuss power-sharing there or in Macedonia (where 25% pop)
-UN finally allows Macedonia, excuse, the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia – in. But Greece doesn’t like it’s flag either, so it won’t be flown at UN
-Clinton admin has changed Bosnia from a moral crime, to an ancient tribal feud. Warren Christopher: “The US simply doesn’t have the means to make people in that region of the world like each other.”
-Role of Gers on NATO planes enforcing Bosnian no-fly zone to be considered by Const court
Cuomo says he doesn’t want to be on Sup Court
4/8/93
China making overtures to the HK triads. The Minister of Pub Security said some in triads are patriotic people they can unite with. Said triads once protected a state leader abroad (my guess is in Singapore)
Iran to buy intermediate-range missiles from N Korea, which would bring range to Israel (& Japan for N Korea)
Jesse Jackson pulls out of run for head of NAACP
Leslie Gelb says the real flaw in the Vance-Owen “peace plan” for Bosnia is that no one will ante up the necessary peace-keepers in the unlikely event the Serbs accept it.
-It doesn’t help that ammunition was just found in flour convey of UN
-Ger Const Court allows Ger participation in what BBC calls its 1st military action outside its borders since 1945 – provisionally while it decides the constitutionality
-Russia resisting tighter sanctions, may veto. US wants to ban all shipments through Yug., restrict Danube freighters, impound Yug ships, planes, trains abroad, freeze assets, ban all ships, freeze land & buildings
-World Court urges Yug not to back genocide, but didn’t exempt Bosnia from arms embargo or order reparations
4/9/93
DC again tries to repeal its sodomy law. Congress blocked it 1981 & may again. It was used last yr after a gay club raided
Fed courts have stopped scheduling new civil jury trials. Given Bush’s sending them drug cases, w/out raising the budget, they won’t be able to appoint attys. In fed cases, defendants must be brought to trial w/in 10 weeks
Swiss high court refuses to give US $10m in frozen Iran-Contra money. US missed the appeal per last June
In advance of referendum, Yeltsin bribing the electorate w/cheap credits for bankrupt industries, indexing savings, raising benefits for military, maintaining price control. All will increase inflation & gov debt
A test of new Fed gov will be treatment of immigrants. Police shot 2 to death this week & beat another to death in jail
Iraq (remember Iraq?) shoots at US planes, which drop cluster bombs
4/10/93
Serbs cont. destroying Srebrenica enclave, Serbian military commander (arriving on a helicopter, illegal under no-fly zone), ejected a UN force of 150 – “Over my dead body, or the bodies of my family.”
GAO says 44% of penalties assessed by IRS 1991 were in error. Hearings on IRS misdeeds held by Sen. Edward Long 1967, Joseph Montoya 1973, both destroyed by leaks of IRS investigations. Congresscritter George Hansen asked investigation & was defeated after same 1984. Justice Wm O Douglas, who dissented on cases won by IRS, threatened by impeachment when his taxes leaked. Abe Fortas ditto
Chris Hani, head of SA CP, assassinated. A lone looney, police said – immediately. a neo-Nazi. Police shoot at the funeral.
Medi-Cal no longer to pay for post-emergency care for illegal aliens. won’t treat cancer w/chemo ro transplantation, no prosthetics for amputees, cardiac surgery, prostate surgery
Cases appealed on grounds of incompetent counsel but turned down inc 1 1991 where the lawyer slept through some of the trial; 1990 where counsel used heroin & cocaine during trial, 1 1989 where counsel alcoholic, drinking morning, recesses & night & once arrested driving to court w/a .27 blood-alcohol who died of it (this a murder case – death sentence but not conviction overturned on *other* grounds); 1 where defendant wearing same clothing as on day of crime. The cases that were reversed were actually worse – admitting guilt w/out client’s consent; saying that if defendant had testified, he would have lied; a lawyer repeatedly telling jurors that he himself was also under indictment for (separate) drug charges
4/12/93
A document in archives of Soviet CP written by a N Vietnamese gen. Sep72 says NVN holding 1,205 US POWs, when gov claiming only 368. Of those, most captured in NVN, majority pilots. 591 were released
Armenia in new offensive in Azerbaijan, capturing 18 villages & mountain positions outside Ngorno-Karabakh. Azerbaijan asking assistance from Iran
Israeli gov decides to keep Occupied closed off indefinitely
In alleged enforcement of Bosnian no-fly zone, NATO rules require them to warn 1st, then fire warning shots, & if Serbian planes somehow still in the air, then shoot them down. And this is after having to identify them as non-military, which we can’t shoot. And can’t fire back at anti-aircraft positions or missiles that shoot at them. In Iraq, we can shoot back & w/out warning, but there US acting w/out a legal basis, which is only necessary when we don’t feel like doing anything.
-Clinton’s Bosnia panel suggests doing something, so their recommendations suppressed
Clinton’s review indicated Bush’s plan to oust Saddam Hussein gave money to groups w/out followings & doing no good at all, despite $40m 1992, so Clinton will cut the program in half
Mar90 the editor of (Br) Defense Helicopter World, found hanged, murdered, in Santiago. Evidently, he was investigating Chilean sales to Iraq...
Rescue America tried to take clinic blockades to Br – they have been deported (and yes, they still used the name Rescue America in UK)
US to prevent UN voting on Serbia sanctions until April 26, just as bombardments of Sarajevo & Srebrenica resumed. Bosnian Prez on haj
The AWB member who shot SA CP head Hani was an immigrant from Poland, more anti-communist than anti-black, but his gun came from a cache stolen from air force by an AWB member. Suggestive. AWB führer Terreblanche wants him treated as pol prisoner
4/13/93
Br’s ex-defense minister Alan Clark won’t be prosecuted for his perjury at the Matrix Churchill trial. Crown Prosecution Service said unable “to establish with sufficient certainty which of the inconsistent statements made was not true.”
Czech. bans abortions for foreigners (Poles have been coming in since limitations there)
Fr to replace hero-general Morillon in Bosnia
Ollie North has a PAC called V-PAC. Last yr it raised $500,845 & gave $38,329 to candidates. The rest was spent on itself, $196,000 on fund-raising alone
Whatever happened to?...
-Namibia?
-all those Palestinians thrown out of Kuwait?
-Panic, former president of Yugoslavia?
-Gisy, Modrow or Krenz, the last leaders of E Ger
-Status of Ch. students in US after Tiananmen?
-DC statehood? Puerto Rico?
-Vietnamese refugees being repatriated forcibly from Hong Kong?
-Grenada
4/14/93
Clinton wants increase in spying budget
4/15/93
US doesn’t see anything threatening to Cambodian elections about Khmer Rouge pulling out of Phnom Penh en masse
It. mafia informers say Andreotti ordered the 1982 mob assassination of a general. And maybe a journalist 1979, both of whom knew that Aldo Moro, before he died, told the Red Brigades about the Gladio secret network
Soviet 1991 coup leaders finally to be tried, for “treason against the motherland.” The motherland, of course, was the Soviet Union.
-Yeltsin attacks VP Rutskoi, suggesting that as a general, he should quit if doesn’t agree w/Yeltsin – & took away his armored limos, most bodyguards & dr & his supervision of agric
-Yeltsin says he’ll ignore Congress on how to tally referendum & go for majority of those who vote only. Accuses chair of Cent. Bank of w/holding state salaries.
-Gorbachev becomes pres of Internat Green Cross & Green Crescent, whatever that is.
Clinton admin wants to put a “key” into electronic communications, inc email & telephone, to allow gov to eavesdrop. The problem is encryption can defeat even NSA (or so they say, but they would, wouldn’t they?). Of course, a really good hacker...
For 1st time, a court (NY family court) supersedes biological fatherhood, contrib of sperm to a lesbian couple by a guy who popped back up a few yrs later wanting parental rights
4/16/93
The Ger drug comp that owns RU-486 is dragging feet on mkting in US
NY Archdiocese joins Pat Robertson’s group in trying to inf school board elections
Justice Dept (actually Bush holdovers) decide not to prosecute anyone for Bush admin lying to Congress, making 68 changes in export documents at Commerce to conceal military uses of exports to Iraq. Justice refuses to give reasons. Reno was simply informed of the decision.
Congress pressure forces State to make pub. the Bosnian team recommendations of creating safe havens, protected by internat military, & force to stop heavy weapons.
John Major building a land fit for Neroes
Ten Commandments (NSS comp):
Thou shall not kill, unless a license has been issued
-Thou shalt thou thou shalt not not thou shalt rap
-Thou shalt, thou shalt not be moved
-Thou shalt have no other Godfather until the current one is shot or arrested
-Thou shalt mind the gap; thou shalt stand clear of the doors, please
-Thou shalt not close pits, hospitals, and so no, without a (negotiation?) exercise that changes nothing
50 Fed judges refuse to take drug cases, protesting mandatory sentencing
Clinton retreats on his jobs package in face of Republican filibuster, but Bob Dole, at his most obnoxious this week, refuses to deal. Clinton wants to make it difficult by inc money to rehire laid-off cops
As Srebrenica falls, UN makes another empty gesture, a “safe zone” which Serbs won’t respect
4/17/93
SA: a Conserv party leader arrested in connection w/the assassination of Chris Hani. And a Conserv local councillor fires on a demonstration
4/18/93
Chechen-Ingush’s president has dismissed Parl & dec absolute rule. Parl begins impeachment
UN waves a fist at Yugoslavia, threatening real sanctions if the Bosnian peace plan not signed by April 26. UN is claiming its “safe area” plan “saved” Srebrenica. It is a negotiated surrender, where UN is to disarm the Bosnians, & keep Serbs out by the sheer force of 150 Canadians.
US bombs Iraqi radar site 11 mi. outside the no-fly zone, claiming it locked onto a US plane.
President of Pakistan fires another PM, Nawaz Sharif (after Bhutto 1990). Claims corruption, again. Dissolves Parl but gives no date for new elections.
Br privatized a jail for remand prisoners, at unknown cost. Opened last yr. The experiment was declared a success & one w/sentenced prisoners to open, before the 1st one even open. It’s staffed by people w/out previous experience, to break w/old traditions, like finding stuff when they search people. Gov now says all new prisons to be priv run (pub built, though), and some old, inc Strangeways
4/19/93
2 days ago, the jury in 2nd trial of cops in Rodney King beating found 2 guilty, 2 innocent. No riots. Sentencing in August
There is a Secret Service agent who says he overheard a 1981 talk between RR & aides, that VN would sell POWs back at $4.5b. Sen. failed to subpoena him. Richard Allen 1st admitted, then denied it.
Clinton campaign listed many workers as self-employed consultants to avoid paying Soc Sec
The 1982 DOD regs on gays in military allowed people to get out of trouble by saying it was a lapse – it was the identification as gays that was the problem. Lesbians are discharged at rate 2-6X higher
Fr PS starts breaking up, ex-PM Chevénement trying to form a new group
Sup Court refuses to hear a death penalty case in Virginia where a confession was extracted after 4_ hrs w/out a lawyer, at one pt in which prisoner asked the cops “Do you think I need an atty here?” & a cop said, “You’re just talking to us.”
Major says honors to be no longer automatic, exc for high court judges. And will be no distinction by rank in military gallantry awards
It. referenda on pol system (not quite binding) – 82% voted to scrap PR for 1st-past-the-post for Senate; this should destroy most parties. Also removed gov subsidies of pol parties. And reduced penalties for drug use – no prison, but confiscation of drivers’ licenses, passports
-The North is expected to fall under the Northern Leagues, neo-fascists near as I can tell
The gov standoff w/the cult of Branch Davidians, the old pacifist wing of the Adventists, is over. 2 mos ago, ATF tried an assault on the compound, instead of, say, waiting for the leader to come out. The charge was possession of illegal weapons (as if any weapons are illegal in Texas). 4 feds killed in the raid, so they backed off & tried to annoy the cultists out, using stereos of Tibetan music, dentists’ drills, rabbits being killed. The leader, who was evidently God, said he’d come out when he finished a biblical commentary, and could they send in a word processor, please. Instead, they sent in tear gas & battering rams. The NYT says the gov had time on its side and threw it away, for no good reason. The cult started a fire (authorities had cut off water & did nothing in advance about possibility, despite all the talk about going out in flames. About 90 dead, inc 17 children.
4/20/93
In Fr’s 1st-round elections last month, PS got 20.3%, both conserv parties 39.5%, Le Pen’s Nat Front 12.4, Greens 7.6, PC 9.2.
-Second round, right got 40% vote, 80% seats
A bill in NY would institute a birth tax of $300, theoretically paid by doctors & hospitals, to est fund to compensate malpractice cases on no-fault basis.
4/21/93
Clinton & Reno say assault on Branch Davidians because of child abuse, which FBI says had not increased. FBI treated Koresh like a hostage-holder & dealt only w/him, increasing his hold on his followers. They blasted Xmas music & Nancy Sinatra at them but failed to use family members.
Brazil votes by c.88% not to restore the monarchy after 104 yrs
Polish court says compulsory relig instruction & presence of a cross in class in const.
4/22/93
The Holocaust Museum opens. Elie Wiesel berates Clinton over Bosnia. But who the hell invited Croatian Pres. Tudjman, who evidently believes under 1m Jews died & Jews ran a concentration camp in Bosnia?
The Canadian spokesman for UN force in Bosnia said the 145 UN Canadians will protect civilians. Everyone jumped up & said no, they would only defend themselves
-The new Fr gov, which signaled this by recalling Marillon, says if arms embargo lifted on Bosnia, will pull its troops out of UN relief & peacekeeping.
-State Dept career officials on desks for Serbia, Albania, Bosnia, Montenegro, Croatia, Slovenia, others, 12, urge military action to stop genocide. They say US policy has failed. UN ambassador Madeline Albright also, saying there is already UN authority in resolution for “all means necessary” to deliver relief
-Eur Parl fails to sanction force
-Chief of Staff of Bosnian Serbs says UN disarming of Srebrenica a farce & violation of the ceasefire & Serbs now free to attack
A Dem. president, House, Senate, and Dole runs the country, killing by filibuster the econ stimulus bill. Unemp benefits to be extended, but no jobs to be created. Orrin Hatch says Clinton did what Bush couldn’t, uniting Sen. R’s
PLO to resume peace talks w/out the deportees being returned. There is some secret deal w/US. Rabin claims to have no plans for expulsions. But doesn’t disclaim the power
The Eur Bank of Reconstruction & Devt, est 2 yrs ago for projects in E Eur, spent $83m fitting out hq, $1.1m changing the marble in the reception area
4/23/93
Another It. cabinet official named, Defense Min, for associating w/Mafia. And, finally, PM resigns
Russian Const Court allows Yeltsin to dec a win in the 2 confidence referenda w/majority only of those who vote, but on the substantive 2 on early elections (for Pres, Congress), still need majority of registered voters
-Yeltsin says he regrets naming Rutskoi VP, claims Rutskoi’d given him the word of an officer not to confront him. Western-style democracy!
-Procurator Gen (Atty Gen) accuses defense minister of involvement in illegal sale of military prop in E Ger & smuggling of “red mercury,” whatever that is
Benazir Bhutto’s husband joins interim Pakistani cabinet after Pres. fires last one, which jailed Bhutto on murder charges. He is out, after 2 yrs, on bail
Russia decided industries would est horizontal coop. if they didn’t est cent. admin to replace that which died w/the USSR. Instead, regional bosses now milking them. Managers can pay themselves anything. Y. used his emergency powers to issue 1,000 decrees on privatiz but provided no money for implementation, so ignored
Centers for Disease Control say there were 349,000 unnecessary Caesareans 1991, costing $1b. Rate increased from 10.4% 1975 to 24.7% 1988
Okl. House of Reps passes bill to allow judges to pack heat
Navy finishes report on Tailhook scandal. Over 140 officers to be referred to services for discipline for indecent assault, exposure or lying to investigation. The annual convention got worse every yr from mid-1980s, w/aviators shaving ♀’s legs (and at some pt added public area); running the gauntlet also a tradition. A now-retired admiral in charge says the women liked it & wouldn’t have gone down the hall if they didn’t. 1991 83 ♀ & 7 men assaulted
Don’t know the result, but early this mo., Greece tried 2 men for spreading false info & instigating conflict. Yes, they... described themselves as Macedonians. Greece doesn’t acknowledge them as a minority any more than Turkey recognizes Kurds
Clinton will keep research into new nuclear reactors
2 days before referendum, Yeltsin releases a draft of a const. Priv prop to be inviolable, indeed, a “natural human right.” Pres can nominate top gov posts, dissolve Parl. He can be removed only by what sounds like an impeachment, by a judicial panel (now Parl can remove him, and don’t need a reason).
-The referendum’s gonna be a mess. Yeltsin may have given away enough of the People’s Cooperative Farm to the regions that they will hold it for him, but the Moscow Evening News reporter says even he doesn’t know where he’s supposed to vote. There is no money for postcards to tell people. Soldiers abroad are to vote (sounds new for them).
-Rutskoi is being kept off tv before the referendum
Yeltsin accuses Latvia of attempting ethnic cleansing (it wants to give temp residence permits to Russian troops).
4/26/93
250,000+ foreigners are waiting for asylum claims – there are 150 officers – which would take to 2000 if no more added. There was no asylum law until 1980, no regs until 1990, thus the politicization. Congress thinking about summary exclusion – asylum another victim of end of Cold War
Ch. has reduced birth rates to lowest level ever, evidently by holding local officials responsible. Times quotes case of woman forced to have induced labor at 7 mos to make the 1992 rather than 1993 quota (she’s crippled, baby dead). Birthrate is 18.2/1,000 1992, from 21.1 1990, 23.33 1987. Forcible sterilization way up
-A Hunan cty decided ♀ only to give birth after 24; the induced births were of ♀ already issued permits under 24. 12.5m sterilized 1991, 6.5m 1992 (most had been). And the “missing” girls now amount to 900,000/yr. Ch. now no longer releases sex ratio figures. Ultrasound is spreading. Authorities send out gangs of 1 or 2 dozen to beat up & steal or destroy the possessions of those who have illegal births (inc 2nd birth in under 4 yrs)
Russian referendum over, countdown to deadline for Serbs tonight. Bosnian Serb Parl unanimously reject UN Peace Plan, again, though David Owen adds a Danzig corridor between Serbia proper & the proposed Serb “cantons” in Bosnia (for obvious reasons, none of the cantons have a border w/Serbia). Yug. seems to be trying to force Bosnian Serbs to give in, to no effect
Yeltsin pre-election bribes inc higher student stipends, freeze in gas prices, a reprieve on ban on right-hand-drive cars...
Another ridiculous nursery school sex abuse trial, in San Diego, of a man w/Noonan’s syndrome who probably incapable of rape. “Victims” all 3-4, no medical or other physical evidence, like the elephant children say was slaughtered in the classroom
In San Antonio, in a gang initiation act, 5 girls slept w/an HIV-infected gang member. Girls are 14-15.
1982 CIA proposed having Korean soldiers masquerade as insurgents to overthrow Suriname gov
UN “saved” Srebrenica, but Serbs are keeping water & power off, refusing entry to reporters, Medicens sans frontiers, or provision for the UN troops. UN forces claim to have disarmed Bosnians, but haven’t. Serbs are demanding UN get out
New It. PM (interim) Carlo Azeglio Ciampi, of no party, head of central bank. No power either
Russia admits USSR broke rules on nuclear waste dumping in oceans & lied about it. Admits to 2.5m curies, which is a shitload, but meaningless w/out a breakdown of long-term/short-term. It inc 18 sub-reactors. To compare, Chernobyl leaks now 1.8m curies (50m released at the time). All other nations admit to ½ that amount. It was Green peace that forced investigation – tried it themselves & were fired on Oct.
4/27/93
Yeltsin wins all 4 referenda, with (circa) 58%, giving him confidence. 64% called for new leg elections, 49% for president. Did esp well in cities. This saw 1st paid pol ads. Opposition accuses tv of “Goebbels-style” propagandizing. 53% supported his econ reforms
Eritrea has referendum in which allegedly 98.25% of electorate voted, 99.8% favoring ind from Ethiopia
4/28/93
The Christian Right on school boards: Colorado Springs use a graphic Pat Robertson anti-abortion film. San Diego Christians targeted school breakfast program (“We shouldn’t take away a parental responsibility”) & preschool program (“undercuts the family”). Programs to build childrens’ self-esteem & discourage them using drugs attacked. The Roberstsonian Citizens for Excellence in Ed. president says “Teenagers have too much self-esteem.” Evidently, if they have power to say no to drugs or unwanted sex, might also say no to their parents. Vista, CA Christians on board want to count illegal alien kids & cut the money used to school them from foreign aid to Mexico. CEE has repealed curricula about recycling & environment because they teach worship of Earth
To get Palestinians back to negotiations, US asked Saudis to resume financial aid to PLO cut off in Gulf War. They promised to, but haven’t yet.
-Israel agreed to allow back 30 deputies not in the 300 in no-man’s land, but deported 1967-87, old men, moderates all, intellectuals, who only ever committed thought crimes
New It. gov inc several ex-Communists, the 1st since 1947, a Green. PM Ciampi by-passed the big parties in making his decisions (though some holdovers). Still, one can’t imagine Greens & CP doing well in 1st-past-the-post. Only 9 of 24 are mPs
There is evidently a republic called Kalmikia (sp?) w/in Russia whose new 31-yr old president says he wants to be a testing place for presidential rule, Yeltsin-style. He will demand Parl abolish itself, to be replaced by one of 25. Has fired 40 of 45 in Cabinet, dissolved all local councils & the security service, and will give up its subsidy from Russia, now 90% of budget
4/29/93
That didn’t last long. The CP & Green members of new It. gov resign to protest a (secret) Parl vote limiting investigation of Bettino Craxi, excluding the charge of $29m in bribes & restricting it to minor crimes abrogated by last week’s referenda
A Fr document from 1989-90 comes out, told intelligence to go after US corporate secrets, esp aerospace
Yeltsin pushing his draft const. Ask the 88 regional leaders to name 2 reps each to a const assembly. His draft const would disband Congress for a 2-house parl, upper representing regions. No VP. Yeltsin comments getting more obnoxious, says that anyone’s decisions going against “the will of the people” will be ignored. “We need to get rid of those who are not on the same path as us.”
-Sup Soviet instructs Yeltsin to veto UN moves against Serbia 172-8 (non-binding)
-It also annuls a pres. decree reinstating President of Moldovia, fired by local parl
Today is Clinton’s 100 Days
4/30/93
Clinton proposes for college students a generous $10,000 for college (down from $13k in the draft) in exchange for 2 yrs of min wage labor (by the way, will min wage ever rise again?) as asst teachers, in police dept, recycling, elderly care. The money will be borrowed dir from gov instead of banks, which is good, but might be enforced by IRS, which isn’t. Local & state gov are supposed to pay 15% of the min wage. 1992 banks made $13.6b in fed-insured student loans, $3b of which defaulted. Clinton’s pilot will be $400m 1994, $3.4b by 1997. Where’s the other $10b ($20b in 5 yrs) coming from?? The amount was cut to $10,000 per partly so as not to lure people from military’s scholarship program.
Justice argues before Sup Court for 1991 Civil Rights Act overturning Sup Court decisions should be applied retroactively
