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MOSCOW, Jun 17, 1999 -- (Agence France Presse) Bulgaria has authorized Russia to use its airspace to fly 5-7,000 troops to Kosovo to take part in the KFOR peacekeeping operation, the Kremlin's Balkans envoy Viktor Chernomyrdin said Wednesday, Interfax reported. "The corridor is open, that means there will soon be reinforcements in Kosovo," said Viktor Chernomyrdin as he arrived in Saint Petersburg for talks with IMF chief Michel Camdessus. Sofia had said Monday that it would only grant authorization on the use of its airspace if NATO and Moscow settled a dispute on the command structure for KFOR. Chernomyrdin, President ...

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US Sends Ships, Planes Off Korea, North Stays Away SEOUL (Reuters) - U.S. ships and planes were on their way to the waters off Korea Thursday, but North Korean vessels were keeping their distance following a deadly exchange between the North and South in the Yellow Sea this week. A Pentagon spokesman, U.S. Navy Captain Mike Doubleday, told reporters in Washington the cruiser Vincennes, now off Japan, would move off Korea with another ship he did not identify. A number of EA-6B surveillance and electronic warfare planes were also heading to the area to monitor events, although Doubleday stressed that ...

Ducks appear to glide across the surface of ponds; only under water can their busily paddling feet be seen. So it is with Nato leaders, who continue to insist that the occupation of Pristina airport by a Russian contingent is "not militarily significant". The airport was intended to be the British Nato headquarters, but is now said to be unsuitable. The UN cannot use it to airlift in relief; that too is now deemed a minor matter - though not by the agencies. Lieutenant-General Sir Michael Jackson, the Kfor commander, has a "cordial" relationship with the Russian commander; but ...

1745 GMT, 990617 - China officially rejected the American explanation of the Chinese embassy bombing and demanded compensation. The Chinese news agency Xinhua, quoted U.S. envoy Thomas Pickering, who said, "The U.S. investigation shows that multiple factors and errors in several parts of the U.S. government were responsible for the 'tragic mistaken bombing' of the Chinese embassy," and that the intended target was the Yugoslav Federal Directorate for Supply and Procurement. But China argued the U.S. must have known the embassy’s exact location, adding that five bombs struck the building with accuracy that required "careful and accurate reconnaissance." A Chinese ...

MOSCOW -- The bulk of the Air Force, Air Defence and Navy units will take part in the forthcoming strategic exercises of Russia's Armed Forces. Paramount importance will be attached to judging the preparedness of the army and the navy to repulse a massive space missile attack or missile-and-bombing airstrikes by an armed coalition of Western countries against important military targets and economic areas in the European part of Russia, an officer in the press service of the Russian Air Force told Itar-Tass on Thursday. The forthcoming exercises will also involve large units and regiments of the Belarussian Defence ...

Not for commercial use....for free and open discussion purposes only. U.S. and Russian defense chiefs adjourned yesterday after seven hours of inconclusive talks on Russia's peacekeeping role in Kosovo while thousands of ethnic Albanians flooded back into the province in tractors, carts and on foot. NATO officials meanwhile turned up the heat on rebels of the Kosovo Liberation Army to turn in their weapons as required by the agreement that ended NATO's air war on Yugoslavia. U.S. Marines disarmed more than 100 KLA rebels at gunpoint. Defense Secretary William S. Cohen, addressing reporters after talks with his Russian counterpart in ...

QUAYLE KNOWS HOW TO SPELL RELIEF FOR KIDS By STEVE DUNLEAVY FORMER Vice President Dan Quayle is as square as a butter box and as exciting as a turtle farmer. His life is uncluttered by the vicarious pizza deliveries and his wife is only running to one office - his. His hair does not hold up an entire airport for a $200 clip job as did Bill Clinton. He doesn't play the saxophone. He doesn't have a Hollywood director telling him what to do As for Barbra Streisand? She wouldn't raise a quarter for him - and he wouldn't take ...

"Money Ain't Nuthin'" (To be sung to Dire Straits' "Money For Nothing") I love the E-I-B... Now look at Rush Limbaugh, that's the way to do it... Hosts a "talkshow" trashin' ol' DeeCee. Rush ain't working, tells the Left to screw it... Beholden to no one...spoutin' philosophy! No, Rush ain't workin', that's the way you do it... Lemme tell ya, Ol' Rush ain't dumb... Ceegah danglin' from nicotine-stained fingers... Gonna help exposin' Lib'ral Scum! Rush's show ain't no Oprah-style "love-in"... Got us brain-washed from noon-to-three-ee-ee! You choose the issue, and we'll debate it... We learn the Truth from the E-I-B!! ...

Thursday June 17, 1:30 pm Eastern Time Russia Sources Say No Deal at Helsinki Kosovo Talks,Russians Fly to Moscow-interfax (This is a headline-only alert, although it will likely be followed by an article soon)

The New York Times Reported yesterday that the "Kosovo Liberation Army will not hand over its weapons to Nato forces and intends to turn itself into a national army with the eventual goal of an independent Kosovo, a senior KLA commander said yesterday. "Directly contradicting the KLA's public support for the agreement reached at Rambouillet, Rustem Mustafa, one of seven regional commanders, said he expected Nato to train its 50,000 soldiers, to provide weapons to replace their old ones and to share security for Kosovo with the KLA." In a helpful description of the KLA the Times notes: "The ...

For education and discussion only. Not for commercial use. PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) - When Eddie Eagle spies children stumbling onto a handgun in an attic, the cartoon hero swoops down, raises his wing and squawks: ``STOP! Don't touch! Leave the area! Tell an adult!'' Oregon's Legislature this month passed a measure that would make the state the first to adopt the National Rifle Association's Eddie Eagle character - in coloring books, videos and pamphlets - as a mandatory part of the school curriculum. But opponents who don't necessarily have a problem with the message are leery of the nation's ...

For education and discussion only. Not for commercial use. PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) - When Eddie Eagle spies children stumbling onto a handgun in an attic, the cartoon hero swoops down, raises his wing and squawks: ``STOP! Don't touch! Leave the area! Tell an adult!'' Oregon's Legislature this month passed a measure that would make the state the first to adopt the National Rifle Association's Eddie Eagle character - in coloring books, videos and pamphlets - as a mandatory part of the school curriculum. But opponents who don't necessarily have a problem with the message are leery of the nation's ...

Military Sniper Weapon Regulation Act of 1999 (Introduced in the House) HR 2127 IH 106th CONGRESS 1st Session H. R. 2127 To amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to regulate certain 50 caliber sniper weapons in the same manner as machine guns and other firearms. IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES June 10, 1999 Mr. BLAGOJEVICH (for himself, Mr. WAXMAN, and Ms. NORTON) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Ways and Means A BILL To amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to regulate certain 50 caliber sniper weapons in the same manner as machine ...

1) Wednesday night the networks all highlighted how Al Gore emphasized "family values" and is distancing himself from Clinton, but only CBS challenged him about standing by Clinton until now. 2) Gore now called Clinton's behavior "inexcusable," but Gore once boasted: "I feel extremely privileged to have been able to serve with him as his partner for the past six years....America's great President, Bill Clinton." 3) In her interview with Gore Diane Sawyer showed him praising Clinton, but in allowing him to recall his sister's death from smoking she failed to note how he had boasted of tobacco growing. 4) ...

"Buy Volvos. They're boxy, but they're good. We know they're not sexy, but this is not a smart time to be sexy anyway with so many new diseases around. Be safe instead of sexy." Thus the premise of the 1990 comedy Crazy People, starring Dudley Moore and Daryl Hannah: What would happen if you injected truth into advertising? Moore’s character was a stressed-out ad executive who suddenly began writing starkly truthful ads like the one above for Volvo automobiles. His boss (actor Paul Reiser), naturally, thought Moore was nuts. Here’s the exchange the two had when Moore first presents ...

Will US Marines Take Orders from KLA Drug Dealers in Kosovo? The New York Times Reported yesterday that the "Kosovo Liberation Army will not hand over its weapons to Nato forces and intends to turn itself into a national army with the eventual goal of an independent Kosovo, a senior KLA commander said yesterday. "Directly contradicting the KLA's public support for the agreement reached at Rambouillet, Rustem Mustafa, one of seven regional commanders, said he expected Nato to train its 50,000 soldiers, to provide weapons to replace their old ones and to share security for Kosovo with the KLA." In ...

IN a way, it doesn't matter if there are 50 people working for the city of Seattle who hate naked bicyclists, or if there are none at all. The end result is the same: The artists who organize the annual Solstice Parade in Fremont feel the warm breath of Government on their necks, an anonymous force wanting them to cooperate in a manner that threatens the purpose and future of the community festival. Every year, a few naked bicyclists crash the Solstice Parade. This mildly irritates the parade organizers, offends a few parents who were hoping for Barney and ...

To those who believe that business corrupts government, these articles exemplify just the opposite. It is government that acts as an extortion racket to shakedown business. Here we see Microsoft first set upon by the government until Gates gets wise and starts ponying up the money for campaign contributions. Now he is received in a much more favorable light by the lawmakers who can pass legislation to relieve his legal battle against the government - brought on by his business competitors, who just happened to have been heavy political contributors themselves. You wanna do bizness in dis town, you gotta ...