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Around the Nation
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Around the Nation
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The law goes into effect today, and northern lawmakers fear traffic jams and lost trade at the Canadian border if it is not repealed soon. Sixteen Republican lawmakers sent a letter Tuesday to House Speaker Newt Gingrich, urging him to repeal the law to prevent "unacceptable disruptions and delays that would effectively shut the border and severely harm trade and tourism."
Rep. Fred Upton (R-Mich.) and Rep. Jack Quinn (R-N.Y.) authored the letter, signed mostly by members of Congress from northern border states including Michigan Reps. Joe Knollenberg and Vernon Ehlers.
The group of lawmakers wants the repeal, already passed in the Senate, to be passed in the House before lawmakers adjourn next month to campaign. For that to happen, the Senate language must be included in the final version of the bill negotiated between both chambers.
The problem is the House and Senate have very different ideas on how to handle immigration.
"We're trying to have the Senate language prevail. It's going to be a struggle," Upton said. "We really have a full-court press" on the leadership, he said.
At issue is the provision in the 1996 immigration law requiring the Immigration and Naturalization Service to keep a record of all foreigners departing and arriving in the United States so it can identify those overstaying their visas.
The provision, known as Section 110, is scheduled to take effect tomorrow. Upton said the INS is waiting a few days to see what action legislators take they will soon have to try to comply with the law. "I don't think they're going to do anything dramatic in the next few days but Congress needs to do something soon," Upton said.
INS officials have complained they are not ready to implement such a comprehensive and complex border program.
"From the very beginning, we've informed Congress that (today's implementation) wouldn't be feasible," said INS spokesperson Elaine Komis. There were 416 million land-border crossings last year.
In the Senate, Michigan Sen. Spencer Abraham, head of an immigration subcommittee, has taken the lead in getting the provision repealed. He authored a similar letter that was sent to Senate leaders last week. It was signed by 17 border senators including Carl Levin (D-Mich.).
The repeal is tucked into a Senate appropriations bill for the Commerce, State and Justice departments that passed 99-0 in July.
But last year, the House voted 325-90 to delay the law until October 1999. Rep. Lamar Smith (R-Texas) head of the House immigration subcommittee, says repealing the law would provide "a welcome mat to every terrorist and drug smuggler who is looking for an easy way into the United States."
Abraham and Upton say a one-year delay is not enough. "We'd just be faced with the same dilemma down the road," Upton said.
Of the estimated 5 million people living here illegally, roughly 40 percent have overstayed their visas.
In 1996, the INS apprehended 1.5 million people trying to enter the country illegally, and only 40,000 of those were caught on the northern border.
Saudi officials began talks with seven U.S. oil companies to explore ways for the Americans to invest in the kingdom's oil industry, including exploration and production.
Industry experts expect the process to take a year or more - and even then, it may not be a certainty.
But the overture by Saudi Crown Prince Abdullah in a private meeting with oil executives over the weekend was the first time the Saudis have sought outside participation since the kingdom nationalized its oil industry in 1973. No foreign companies have been involved in exploration or production in Saudi Arabia since then.
The Saudi's direct approach caught some oil executives by surprise. But industry analysts and Middle East scholars said it wasn't unexpected.
The Saudis "desperately need capital to invest in their oil sector to keep the oil flowing," said Yehya Sadowski, associate professor of Middle East studies at Johns Hopkins University. "They don't have the capital, but the oil companies do."
The Saudis' financial problems are exacerbated by low oil prices, growing competition from other oil producers such as Venezuela and Mexico and slack demand, made worse by the economic crisis in Asia.
Some of Saudi Arabia's neighbors are seeking out foreign investment as well, despite concern about the political backlash from Islamic nationalists. Iran has sought bids for at least 40 oil and gas development projects, and Kuwait is said to be holding private, preliminary discussions on foreign investment.
In Saudi Arabia, Abdullah has essentially headed the government since 1995, when his half-brother, King Fahd, had a stroke. He told oil executives he wants "recommendations and suggestions" on what role they might play in developing new and existing Saudi oil fields, according to Saudi sources.
The U.S. companies were cautious in their comments, fearing they might antagonize the Saudis, who would like the issue to have a low profile.
"I didn't comment before the meeting. I can't comment now," said Ed Burwell, a spokesperson for Exxon Corp.
The American executive could not have been more pleased, however, at potential access - after an absence of more than two decades - to the world's largest oil reserve.
"All the oil companies will gladly go to Saudi Arabia," said Jay Bhutani, an industry analyst at Donaldson, Lufkin & Jenrette. "No one wants to be left out of a country like Saudi Arabia."
But Bhutani and others said the discussions could take a year or more.
"It's the start of a dialogue," said one Saudi official, who spoke on the condition of not being identified further.
While Saudi leaders are looking for new partners, it will not be the kind of relationship U.S. companies had a quarter-century ago.
Before 1973, "Aramco, serving as a cover company for a variety of the oil majors, was in a position to tell Saudi Arabia what oil prices they had to accept," said Sadowski, the Johns Hopkins professor.
"I'm sure the first thing the Saudis will do this time is to prevent the oil companies from forming any united organization that would give them leverage against the kingdom," Sadowski said.
U.S. officials familiar with the Saudi discussions said the Saudis are sensitive to both the concerns of Islamic nationalists and the need to strengthen the country's ties with the United States on energy matters.
"They're saying it's better to be in tight (with the United States), but they want it on their terms," said an administration official.
Saudi Oil Minister Ali Naimi, who is said to personally oppose the overture, has been directed to meet with companies individually in the coming weeks, according to U.S. sources.
Those attending the meeting with Abdullah included senior executives from Mobil Corp., Exxon Corp., Texaco Inc. and Chevron Corp. - all partners in the Arabian American Oil Co., Aramco, in the 1930s.
Also present were executives from Atlantic Richfield Co., Conoco Inc. and Phillips Petroleum Co.
Saudi Arabia has the world's largest known oil reserves - more than 260 billion barrels - the lowest costs of extracting oil and the most production of any country in the world - 8 million barrels a day.
Prosecutors took the extraordinary step of indicting nine amusement company executives, employees and inspectors on charges of murder in Leslie Lane's death six months ago.
Holding executives criminally responsible for the death of a rider may be unprecedented in the nation's amusement ride industry, the district attorney's office said.
Bob Johnson of the Outdoor Amusement Business Association also said the Austin indictments were the first of a kind for the industry.
"I think they are being held scape goats for the entire industry," he said.
A grand jury on Tuesday indicted nine people of Yuma, Ariz.-based B&B Amusements on charges of "knowingly and intentionally" causing Leslie's death on the Himalaya ride March 19 at the Austin-Travis County Livestock Show and Rodeo.
John Yeager, representing ride owners Robert Dale Merten Sr., his wife, Shara Merten, and their son Robert Merten II, said the indictment was a mistake that "not even a first year law student would be fooled by.''
"However, we now understand that this indictment has little to do with justice and more to do with warping public opinion," Yeager said yesterday. "This case is another example of abuse of the grand jury process.''
The Himalaya is a ride with about 19 cars that travel in a circle in undulating movements amid scenery painted to look like mountains. A lap-bar secures riders into the seat.
Leslie was riding with her 9-year-old brother and a 16-year-old friend. Her father watched from outside the ride as all three children were catapulted from the car. Leslie struck a wall and died on the platform. The other two children were treated for minor injuries.
The indictments charge that the ride was operated too fast, that the restraining lap bar was fastened by a pin that was too small and that the lap bar's latch was inadequate.
The ride was inspected March 9 by a safety consulting firm hired by B&B's insurers. The inspector noted the ride's maximum recommended speed at 10 revolutions per minute. Investigators told the Austin American-Statesman that the ride could reach at least 15 rpms - more than 20 mph - when cranked up to full speed.
The newspaper reported that people who rode the Himalaya before the fatal accident said it seemed to be going too fast and that one person who was on the ride with Lane told police the ride operator asked customers whether they wanted to go faster.
The indictments also allege the ride had not been adequately inspected and that it continued to operate after those responsible had been notified the ride was unsafe.
Attorney Joe Crews said Leslie's parents were devastated to learn that a grand jury found enough evidence to indict nine people on murder charges, which carry 5 to 99 years in prison.
Amusement park and carnival rides kill slightly more than five Americans a year on average, based on 25 years of statistics from the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission. There have been 133 ride-related deaths since 1973, including seven in Texas. About one-fifth, 24 deaths, involved whirling rides such as the Himalaya.
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Around the World
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KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia -One day after jailed dissident Anwar Ibrahim appeared in court with a swollen black eye and bruises, Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad said "it's not impossible" that Anwar, his former deputy, inflicted his own injuries to gain a public relations advantage as he battles to clear his name of sodomy charges.
Facing domestic and international criticism after photographs of Anwar's battered face were shown worldwide, Mahathir said it was premature to blame police for the beating. He also suggested Anwar maybe "purposefully did something to cause the police to try to restrain him."
Mahathir promised to investigate Anwar's assertion that he was beaten unconscious on his first night in custody. But his remarks yesterday seemed certain to further fuel the controversy surrounding Anwar's arrest Sept. 20 and add to skepticism about a chain of events in which Anwar was abruptly removed from his position as Malaysia's second-most-powerful politician and subjected to what many here consider a government-orchestrated smear campaign.
Anwar, meanwhile, was back in court again yesterday, this time in suburban Petaling Jaya, where he was charged with engaging in homosexual sex. He pleaded not guilty.
Since Tuesday, Anwar has pleaded not guilty to five counts of sodomy and five counts of corruption; four of the five corruption charges involve allegations that he tried to interfere with police investigations into the sex charges.
Sodomy is a crime in Malaysia and is taboo among the country's Muslim majority. Anwar's supporters say they disbelieve the charges because he has long cultivated an image as a devout Muslim and is a married father of six.
Several hundred people pressed against the fence of the courthouse to see Anwar since the photographs of his bruised face became public Tuesday. Inside the courtroom, he remained defiant, slipping out a written message warning that "Malaysians should be made aware of the deterioration of their fundamental liberties and the dictatorial acts of Dr. M," as Mahathir is often called.
He called on Malaysians to continue the political reform movement that Anwar started in the 18 days between his firing and his arrest.
But before he can lead Malaysia's new reform movement, Anwar faces an uphill legal battle, with the formidable machinery of the government, the police and the state-controlled media arrayed against him. His case is likely to focus attention on the credibility and independence of Malaysia's judiciary amid what commentator Rustam Sani called "a crisis of confidence" as the once-autonomous courts come to be seen as instruments of Mahathir and the ruling party. Malaysian courts rarely rule against the government in an important case, lawyers and others here said.
No date was set for Anwar's trial. And for the moment, attention has shifted from the lurid sex charges against him to his claim that he was beaten unconscious on his first night in detention.
A physician who examined him said in a statement, "In my expert opinion ... Anwar Ibrahim was assaulted over the left forehead and neck and received blunt trauma" that caused the swelling above and below his left eye. He did not say whether it was likely Anwar could have assaulted himself.
Many here said they thought Mahathir's explanations for Anwar's battered face have strained his credibility, and Mahathir's defiant stance in the face of the outcry added to a common perception that the 72-year-old prime minister, once known as a deft political operator, may be losing his touch.
In answering a reporter's question about whether Anwar's injuries while in police hands may have been self-inflicted, Mahathir replied: "It's not impossible, because he will get plenty of mileage if he showed he was abused by police."
Mahathir said the case will be investigated, but added, "We cannot accuse the police just like that." He said police in Malaysia must act lawfully, which means "they cannot beat detainees, even in the interrogation process."
Anwar's wife, Azizah Ismail, a trained ophthalmologist, said she was "shocked" that Mahathir, who is a physician by profession, could make such a statement without examining Anwar.
"My advice in helping Russia is, don't give it drugs," said Fedorov, who also was fired from his post as a deputy prime minister last month. "Demand from Russia drastic economic reforms."
Fedorov, an outspoken advocate of a Western-style market economy, said lenders such as the International Monetary Fund should recognize that Russia has made little progress in transforming its economy despite more than $20 billion in foreign loans over the past six years.
"The IMF was pretending to see a lot of reforms in Russia," Fedorov told a group of Western reporters. "Russia was pretending to enact reforms. And the U.S. taxpayers were paying for it."
Fedorov, who served in the Russian government twice before but lasted only four months this time, said he was forced out by First Deputy Prime Minister Yuri Maslyukov, a Communist who is in charge of the economy in the new Cabinet of Prime Minister Yevgeny Primakov.
Fedorov predicted that the new government will fail in solving the country's problems and that the Cabinet will be reshuffled yet again within six months. He noted that Maslyukov was in charge of the Soviet Union's economy at the time of its collapse and has not served in the government since. "He failed," Fedorov said. "The shops were empty."
Fedorov also said that President Boris Yeltsin is detached from the country's economic problems and leaves the handling of the crisis to his Cabinet. The president, who is seen in public only occasionally these days, is concerned with "broader issues," such as defense and security, he said.
"He's not interested in detailed economic policy," Fedorov said.
The economic crisis, which has caused the ruble to plummet and paralyzed commerce, caused huge financial losses for the small group of tycoons known as "financial oligarchs" who control much of the economy and helped re-elect Yeltsin as president in 1996, he said.
Although their political power has waned, they remain a significant force, he said: "The famous oligarchs, as we call them now, are much weaker. They are regrouping their forces."
Another force to be reckoned with, the Communists - who have made political gains with the appointment of Primakov's government - are organizing a nationwide day of protest for Oct. 7 that they say will unleash a wave of unrest.
But a series of Moscow rallies billed as a dress rehearsal fizzled yesterday, drawing what police said was no more than 1,100 people from a metropolitan region of more than 10 million. The plan had been to shut down seven major roadways into the capital, but police said most of the blockades lasted only a few minutes.
At one of the largest, about 200 Communist activists huddled with a few coal miners and science workers in a frigid drizzle for about an hour, blocking two lanes of a four-lane highway. But traffic was detoured around the site, so there were no confrontations with drivers.
Although the demonstration was supposed to feature disgruntled scientists, there were few to be found. One protester was reserve Col. Pavel Bezik, who described himself as a technician at a nearby research institute.
"If I had the opportunity, I would take up arms and chase all the leaders over the Urals into Siberia," he said. "Then we would live normally."
10-01-98
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