i NATION/WORLD The Michigan Daily - Wednesday, October 9. 1996 - 7 IRA . . admits to British t R l ELFAST, Northern Ireland (AP) - Tlc Irish Republican Army claimed responsibility yesterday for the double car-bomb attack on the British army's headquarters here, which wounded 31 and brought Northern Ireland back to the brink of conflict. It" was the outlawed group's first ..bomb attack in Northern Ireland since mid=1994. In February, it broke a 17- month cease-fire with a deadly bomb- ing in London; attacks followed else- where in Britain and on a British army base in Germany. A telephone caller using a verified codeword told RTE, the Irish national broadcasters in Dublin, that the IRA committed Monday's strike inside Thiepval Barracks, heart of the 18,000- strong military presence in the British- ruled province. Prime Minister John Major said the claim showed the IRA had not changed. "It shows they still rely on terrorist vio- lenoe and are indifferent to human life," he said. Earlier yesterday, telephone callers told news organizations in Belfast and Dublin that the dissident group "Continuity IRA" was responsible, but the callers provided no codeword to val- date the claim. The British government had already Yeltsin shows resolve, wields power of-offce Ap PHOTO Rescuers aid those Injured in the bomb blast that rocked the British army's headquarters in Lisburn, Northern Ireland on Monday. Two bombs rocked the base without warning, wounding up to 20 people. Four are In serious condition. indicated it believed the IRA was responsible. The bombings were "certainly con- sistent with a terrorist organization that declared an end to a cease-fire which it had proclaimed in 1994," Northern Ireland Secretary Patrick Mayhew told reporters. Whether Northern Ireland returns to tit-for-tat bloodshed now remains to be seen. From Major on down, politicians appealed to the province's pro-British paramilitary groups to refrain from striking back. The groups, known as "loyalists" have observed a cease-fire for two years. "We must not let (the IRA) succeed," Major said. "I appeal to all loyalists not to fall into this trap." Loyalists killed more than 800 Catholics during a 25-year period, a campaign they say pushed the IRA to stop its own offensive in September 1994. A month later, the loyalist Ulster Defense Association and Ulster Volunteer Force, both rooted in mili- tant Protestant areas, laid down their guns. Some members now feel oblig- ated to return to eye-for-an-eye tac- tics. "There's still a chance we can step back from this, but in realistic terms, it's a slim chance' said David Ervine, who leads an Ulster Volunteer Force-linked party in peace talks. He urged the pro-British groups not to be provoked into action by the IRA. Loyalists didn't strike back after two earlier IRA-style attacks in Northern Ireland were claimed instead by "Continuity IRA," which is believed to include disgruntled IRA members. MOSCOW (AP) - It's a lesson his rivals never seem to heed: Don't write off Boris Yeltsin too quickly. Roused by a new political threat from security chief. Alexander Lebed and charges he wasn't really in control, the ailing president has made a flurry of top-level firings, promotions and maneuverings to show he still wields power. His actions appear to have quieted his critics, for the moment. But it was only an early test for a delicate balanc- ing act that Yeltsin will have to main- tain for months to come: staying in charge while resting in a sanitarium or hospital. Whispered speculation about Yeltsin's decline grew louder during his recent three-week hospital stay ahead of heart surgery, set for later this fall. In an attempt to allay concerns, Yeltsin made a series of taped televi- sion appearances, in which his voice was rarely heard. He was barely functioning, the talk went. lie was only rubber-stamping his aides' decisions. He had suffered a stroke. Rumors aside, even his aides acknowledged he sometimes worked as little as 30 minutes a day. Lebed complained it wasn't clear "whether we have a president or not" and called on Yeltsin to temporarily step down. A haggard but clearly alert Yeltsin - irritated by what the Kremlin described as alarmist reports - moved to reassert his authority. In radio and TV broadcasts, he assured Russians he remains on top of things and warned them not to rush to take down his portrait in the Kremlin. He complained of "petty intrigues" while he was hospitalized and publicly rebuked Lebed for arguing with every- body. "He may work 15 minutes a day, or 30. or three hours, but he is still in con- trol," Dmitry Pinsker, a political columnist for Itogi magazine, said. "That's the way he is made --he won't ever let power slip away." This is, after all, the president often characterized as being intoxicated with power. His recent orders have served as evidence that he's still the boss. In the last month, Yeltsin has: - Deliberately bypassed Lebed to give aide Yuri Baturin control of mili- tary promotions as head of the new Defense Council. Lebed subsequently threatened to resign. -- Promoted new Defense Minister Igor Rodionov to full general, ensur- ing he won't have to retire when he turns 60 in December. Rodionov's rise also cuts into Lebed's potential power -- a classic Yeltsin political tactic of playing underlings against each other. - Fired generals who had opposed military reductions. - Scolded parliament for not accomplishing more and urged them to better cooperate with his adminis- tration. - Fired Sports Minister Shamil Tarpishchev, who was tainted by a scandal surrounding a secretive fund- raising group. In addition, the Kremlin appears increasingly to be using the media to wage battle against Lebed. Journalists from the liberal daily Segodnya and independent NTV tele- vision have complained they are under heavy editorial pressure to portray Lebed in a negative light and show Yeltsin positively. The owners of both media outlets have close Kremlin ties. Israel, Palestinians clash in negotiations over Hebron pullout U.S. officials continue to help secure belated Israeli withdrawal The Washington Post JERUSALEM -The new round of ,; eace talks between Israel and the Palestinians that began Sunday already has evolved into a tough con- frontation over radically different approaches to Israel's promised pull- out from the West Bank town of Hebron. The early clash at the negotiating table, while expected, underlines the difficult task facing U.S. "facilita- tors." They are pledged to help secure an Israeli withdrawal - now seven months behind schedule - and pre- vent another flare-up of the rioting and shooting that rocked the Israeli- occupied Gaza Strip and West Bank two weeks ago and prompted President Clinton to convene last week's special summit conference in Washington. "Until now, the talks are not as pos- itive as we expected," said Yasser rafat, head of the Palestinian . ational Authority, which has been given limited control of most of the Gaza Strip and six of the seven major towns in the West Bank. The talks continued last night, how- ever, and Arafat pledged at a meeting with Israeli President Ezer Weizman that Palestinian police will refrain from further exchanges of fire with Israeli occupation troops in Gaza and 'he West Bank. Israeli authorities cited the meeting, at Weizman's home in Caesarea, as a sign of goodwill on both sides despite the difficult negoti- ations that began Sunday night at the Erez checkpoint on the border between Gaza and Israel. The first tensions atthe talks sprang up Monday night as soon as negotia- tors broached the main issue under discussion, according to reports from Israeli and Palestinian officials. This is an Israeli desire to change security arrangements for Hebron before implementing an agreed-on partial pullout, and Palestinian insistence that arrangements already agreed on in the 1993 Oslo accords and subsequent talks should be carried out. Palestinian delegate Hanan Asfour told reporters in Gaza that Palestinian negotiators at the first substantive talks at one point walked out, only to be persuaded to return by the U.S. mediation team, headed by Dennis Ross, Clinton's Middle East coordina- tor. Israel's chief negotiator, retired Lt. Gen. Dan Shomron, also reportedly rejected outright a Palestinian sugges- tion that Israel's demand for improved security precautions for Jews in Hebron could be met by appointing international observers and increasing joint Israeli-Palestinian patrols. But the chief cause of the Palestinians' irritation, Asfour said, was Israel's refusal to discuss a timetable for with- drawing its troops. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, despite Clinton's urging at the summit, has adamantly refused to be bound by a timetable for the with- drawal, which had been scheduled for last March. Instead, he has empha- sized a need for "adjustments" to pro- vide additional protection for the 450 Jewish settlers who have taken' up res- idence in several downtown buildings amid a hostile Palestinian population :" PEACE CORPS "THE TOUGHEST JOB YOU'LL EVER LOVE" October 10 Peace Corps Opportunities Brown Bag Workshop School of Natural Resources and Environment Noon FOR MORE ' INFORMATION CALL (313) 747-2182 www.peacecorps.gov i VIP,* AP PHOTO Protestors demonstrate for peace outside of Israel's Knesset at the opening of the winter session of the Israeli Parliament on Monday. of 80,000 or more. Israeli Defense Minister Yitzhak Mordechai said in an interview that he first proposed changes in the Hebron security arrangements to Arafat about three weeks ago - before the vio- lence that killed about 60 Palestinians and 15 Israeli soldiers. Since then, he added, the exchange of gunfire between Israeli soldiers and uni- formed Palestinian police has created "a new situation"that makes such changes even more necessary. "If we don't make all the arrange- ments (for Israeli security) in the area, it will break the situation, and all the peace process will break down," he said in a conversation at the Defense Ministry in Tel Aviv. "We don't ask to change the agreement. We just ask to have a different understanding of the agreement." VOTING SEASON is about to begin. A very important National and City election wi be held-once again. Are you ready to vote? Have you registered yet? Is your cur- rent registration listed at your current address? Have you moved since last year? There is no need to fear. Just call the City of Ann Arbor, City Clerks' office at: 994-2725. I am-sure you will hear: "yes, of course, you can register, make changes, and ask r t~uestions, here." This office can tell you 'where," "when," and "times" to vote. As well, you can make arrangements for an "absentee" ballot vote. Please do not wait. Please do not hesitate. October 7th is the latest registration date. On November 5th. --- Be. ready ---Be prepared---Vote for your favorite candidates! Contact: The City of Ann Arbor, City Clerk WILLING TO BUY a video copy of the U of M/Northwestem football game from Oct. 5. Can't believe it until I see it again! 800/ 677-7066. I, personal 9[300o ADOPT Loving mom & dad w/3 yr. old little girl wish to share their hearts & home w/ newbom. Lots of love, happiness & security. Expenses pd. Call Debby & Larry 1-800/989- 2246. ADOPTION-U of M alum & her husband would like to welcome a newbom into their loving home. Please call Kitty & Alan at 800/ 787-9050 or call Jan collect at 810/548-1588. THE FISH DOCTORS back to school a- quarium sale! 10 gallon tank $7.99 29 gallon tank $25.99 50 gallon tank $39.99 Next to Putt-Putt Golf on Washtenaw 434- 1030. ri iiiiii I . I 1 PREGNANT? Youne ouamie seeking, to adopt newborn READ = 11ilI w 111 I 11 III II U - - U A ~. -~ - 0