Path: bloom-picayune.mit.edu!snorkelwacker.mit.edu!americast.com!americast.com!americast-post Newsgroups: americast.twt.news From: americast-post@AmeriCast.Com Organization: American Cybercasting Approved: americast-post@AmeriCast.com Subject: Headline Article Date: Thu, 19 Nov 92 15:23:03 EST Message-ID: \SE A;TOP OF THE NEWS;WORLD \BY FROM WIRE DISPATCHES AND STAFF REPORTS S=NEW STORY Peru's Maoists launch bloody offensive LIMA, Peru - Maoist guerrillas have launched a bloody offensive to protest Sunday's constituent assembly vote aimed at restoring democracy in Peru. Eight persons were killed and more than 30 wounded in two days of attacks, police said yesterday. Troops backed by tanks and police took up positions around the capital early yesterday while the Shining Path rebels tried to enforce the first day of a general strike. Rebels detonated a car bomb packed with 780 pounds of explosives near an intersection in a mostly commercial section of Miraflores late Tuesday, killing five and seriously wounding three others, the anti-explosives unit said. Sixteen more were slightly injured by the bomb, the largest since the capture of Shining Path chief Abimael Guzman and other top rebel leaders in September, a spokesman said. S=NEW STORY De Klerk shifts military in scandal JOHANNESBURG - President Frederik de Klerk, reacting to accusations of an army "dirty tricks" campaign to discredit the African National Congress, said yesterday he had replaced the commander of South African military intelligence and ordered some of its files seized. Mr. de Klerk said in a statement after a 10-hour Cabinet meeting that Gen. Pierre Steyn, the chief of the Defense Force Staff, had been placed in command of all intelligence organizations of the armed forces. Meanwhile, Harry Schwartz, South Africa's ambassador to the United States, expressed anger over the dirty-tricks campaign. He said it made his job impossible. "The attitude in this embassy is one of anger," he said from Washington in an interview with a Johannesburg radio station. S=NEW STORY Germany 'ashamed' over extremism JERUSALEM - German Foreign Minister Klaus Kinkel said yesterday his government feels shame over the attacks on foreigners and Jewish memorials in Germany, but he asked Jews around the world to judge his nation fairly. "I believe I can say that the large majority of the Germans despise and reject what has happened," Mr. Kinkel told reporters after meeting with Israeli Foreign Minister Shimon Peres. "We are not a xenophobic country." Right-wing extremists have made more than 1,000 attacks on foreigners and Jewish memorials in Germany in the past three months, and 11 persons have died. The violence has raised great concern in Israel, home to tens of thousands of survivors of the Nazi Holocaust. "I expressed [to Mr. Peres] how much we regret the events. I expressed my shame as Germany's foreign minister," Mr. Kinkel said. S=NEW STORY Walesa offers to quit when charter passes WARSAW - Polish President Lech Walesa tried to deflect criticism of his efforts to boost presidential powers yesterday by offering to resign when Poland passes a new constitution. He made the offer at the first sitting of a commission established to draw up a replacement for the 1952 communist constitution. Promising to take an active part in the commission's work, he urged its members not to allow political or personal considerations to influence their work. "In order to dispel possible suspicion that the constitution may be created to suit the president, I guarantee even today that I will resign the moment the full constitution comes to life," he said. S=NEW STORY Savimbi says fringe gaining in Angola LUANDA, Angola - Rebel leader Jonas Savimbi said in an interview released yesterday that hard-liners are assuming more control in rebel and government ranks and implied that he is not in full control of his forces. The government called for foreign aid to help tens of thousands of Angolans fleeing their country's latest violence and appealed to the rebels to let supplies through, a newspaper reported. Angola has teetered on the brink of renewed civil war since Mr. Savimbi rejected his defeat in September elections. Fighting erupted about three weeks ago, and more than 1,000 people have been killed. The elections, which Mr. Savimbi called fraudulent and U.N. observers called free and fair, followed a 1991 peace accord that ended a 16-year civil war. S=NEW STORY Rebels in Liberia hit by airstrikes MONROVIA, Liberia - Nigerian planes pounded rebel targets in Liberia yesterday, and military sources said one of guerrilla chief Charles Taylor's top officers was wounded. Field officers said the fire was concentrated on a rebel column moving toward Monrovia, the capital, from Kakata, 40 miles to the north. Heavy artillery fire from the seven-nation West African intervention force shook Monrovia overnight. Isaac Musa, joint chief of staff of Mr. Taylor's guerrilla army, was wounded in one of the Kakata bombing raids conducted by Nigeria, which leads the intervention force, West African military sources said. S=NEW STORY Vatican says Israel dragging its feet VATICAN CITY - The Vatican yesterday charged that Israel is dragging its feet on bilateral talks aimed at establishing full diplomatic relations. A statement issued a day before a meeting of a bilateral commission in Jerusalem said the pace of negotiations since the commission was set up in July has not "lived up to the expectations of the Holy See." The statement by Pope John Paul II's chief spokesman, Joaquin Navarro-Valls, said the Vatican is committed to establishing full diplomatic ties as soon as possible. This article is copyright 1992 The Washington Times. Redistribution to other sites is not permitted except by arrangement with American Cybercasting Corporation. For more information, send-email to usa@AmeriCast.COM