Path: bloom-picayune.mit.edu!snorkelwacker.mit.edu!news.media.mit.edu!americast.com!usa-post Newsgroups: usa-today.inter From: usa-post@AmeriCast.Com Organization: American Cybercasting Approved: usa-post@AmeriCast.com Subject: inter Tue, Mar 24 1992 Date: Tue, 24 Mar 92 05:43:45 EST Message-ID: 03-24 0000 DECISIONLINE: International News USA TODAY Update March 24, 1992 Source: USA TODAY:Gannett National Information Network U.S. TEAM INSPECTS ISRAEL: A U.S. inspection team in Israel Monday began checking allegations that Israel has illegally transferred Patriot missile technology to China. The team, which visited Patriot batteries dispatched to Israel during the gulf war, met with Israeli officials to probe charges raised by the State Department. Israeli Defense Minister Moshe Arens said, "We have nothing to hide." IRAQ FLUNKS INPECTION: Iraq has destroyed some ballistic missiles but has made no attempt to dismantle its major nuclear facility, U.N. officials said Monday. Bowing to world pressure, Baghdad said it has destroyed 89 Scuds, but U.N. ballistics inspectors say there could be more. U.N. inspectors Monday checked portions of the destroyed missiles. They plan to visit several more sites. LIBYA TO SURRENDER SUSPECTS: Libya offered Monday to release to Arab diplomats two suspects wanted in the 1988 Pan Am bombing over Lockerbie, Scotland, which killed 270. Libyan diplomats also told U.N. Security Council President Diego Arria that Libya planned to hand the two suspects over to Arab League officials. No specific time was given for the move. MORE NAGORNO VIOLENCE: Armenian and Azerbaijani militants traded more artillery fire Monday, ignoring an Iranian-mediated cease-fire in the disputed territory of Nagorno-Karabakh. In Moldova, meanwhile, six police officers were reported hurt in a clash with Slav separatists in the Trans-Dniester region of that former Soviet republic. ALBANIANS CHEER VOTE OUTCOME: Tens of thousands of Albanians Monday cheered the opposition Democratic Party victory in weekend elections. Officials said the opposition captured 76 of 97 electoral districts. With a two-thirds majority, the Democrats could change the constitution to force Socialist President Ramiz Alia out of office. Aliz has completed one year of the five-year term the last parliament gave him. FIGHTING IN SOUTHEAST TURKEY: Turkish security forces are struggling to reassert their grip on rebellious Kurdish towns in the southeast, where 55 people have died in clashes since Saturday. On Monday night, 12 armored personnel carriers and four tanks on tank carriers, accompanied by five bus loads of troops rolled through the center of Cizre, where 14 people have been killed in clashes with separatist Kurds. BUSH BEHIND RUSSIA: The Bush administration is preparing a "legislative package" of increased aid to the former Soviet Union, four senators said after a White House meeting late Monday. Present: Sens. Sam Nunn, D-Ga., John Warner, R-Va., Richard Lugar, R-Ind., and Jeff Bingaman, D-N.M. Bush said he will urge the world's industrial powers to support Russia's economic reforms. CHILD-STEALING RINGS SOUGHT: Honduras is investigating groups suspected of stealing infants to sell them for adoption to foreigners, mostly Americans, for $5,000, officials said Monday. Honduran justice officials said police discovered at least five so-called infant "fattening-houses" last Saturday where children were allegedly fed and looked after pending adoption. RUSSIANS WITNESS NUCLEAR TEST: U.S. officials said Monday that Russian scientists will be on hand Wednesday for detonation of a U.S. nuclear weapon - classified among the biggest allowed under existing treaties - at a test range near Las Vegas. DOW JONES OPENS ON DOWNSWING: The Dow Jones average of 30 industrials opens Tuesday at 3272.14, after closing down 4.25 Monday. The New York Stock Exchange composite opens at 226.41, down 0.55. The American Stock Exchange market value opens at 401.36, down 0.67. The NASDAQ OTC composite opens at 621.83, down 2.45. DOLLAR OPENS DOWN: The dollar opens down on foreign markets Tuesday. It opens at 0.5826 British pounds, down from 0.5834; 5.6561 French francs, down from 5.6920; 133.73 Japanese yen, down from 133.90; and 1.6688 German marks, down from 1.6705. (As of 3 p.m. Monday. Source: First American Bank of New York.) International News Editor: Michele Coleman. (1-919-855-3491) Making copies of USA TODAY Update (Copyright, 1992) for further distribution violates federal law. This article is copyright 1992 Gannett News Service. Redistribution to other sites is not permitted except by arrangement with American Cybercasting Corporation. For more information, send-email to usa@AmeriCast.COM