6
2A - The Michigan Daily - Thursday, November 7, 2002
NATION/WORLD
Gephardt expected to step down NEWS IN BRIE L ,ad
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WASHINGTON (AP) - Missouri Rep. Dick the 1994 landslide swept the GOP into power in the Gephardt appeared on morning television programs
Uephardt intends to announce today that he is stepping
down as House Democratic leader after eight years,
senior aides said, one day after his party suffered his-
toric losses in midterm elections.
The expected announcement would clear the way
for a succession struggle between Reps. Nancy
Pelosi of California and Martin Frost of Texas, who
rank second and third in the party leadership.
Gephardt has long signaled his interest in running
for president in 2004, but it was not clear whether he
would address that race when he announces his plans
today.
The Missouri Democrat was majority leader when
House. He was elected minority leader in the weeks
that followed and spent the next eight years attempting
unsuccessfully to return his party to power.
In that time, he served as his party's chief legislative
strategist in the House, often struggling to hold a
diverse caucus together on issues ranging from tax pol-
icy to international trade legislation.
He was also the Democrats' political leader and
chief fund-raiser in the House. In the final days before
Tuesday's elections, he divided campaigning for
Democratic candidates in competitive House races
around the country and spent hours on the phone in a
final round of appeals to party donors.
during the day to field questions about the midterm
elections, but did not address his own future. Democ-
rats lost four seats on Tuesday, despite his intensive
campaigning and historical trends that customarily
favor the party without the White House.
Later in the day, he flew to the capital, and a
spokesman said he would spend time with his family
and talk with associates as he decided on his political
future. "If he chooses to run for minority leader we're
confident he'll win," said his spokesman, Erik Smith.
At the same time, two members of the rank and file
publicly prodded Gephardt to renounce another term as
leader.
-
Sniper suspects.
face Va. capital
murder charges
WASH INGTON..eb
GOP prepares to control Congress
President Bush and his party savored sweeping midterm election victories yes-
terday and began sketching an agenda for a new, Republican-controlled Congress.
Minority House Democrats jockeyed for position in the event Rep. Richard
Gephardt steps down as party leader.
"I'm excited to be able to be on offense," said Republican Sen. Trent Lott of
Mississippi, the once and future Senate majority leader. He said GOP priorities
will include a new Department of Homeland Security as well as targeted tax cuts
to help the economy. He added that Bush's judicial nominees could expect speedi-
er review.
Bush made no public remarks during the day, and aides said he wanted to avoid
giving the appearance of gloating.
"There's a lot more to do and the president looks forward to working with
Democrats and Republicans to do it," said his spokesman, Ari Fleischer.
Republicans were assured of 51 seats in the new Senate, a gain of two. Democ-
rats had 48, including one independent. One race remained in doubt, in
Louisiana, where Democratic Sen. Mary Landrieu will face Republican Suzanne
Terrell in a December runoff.
In the House, Republicans had 227 seats - a gain of four - and led for one
more. Democrats won 203, and led for three. There was one independent.
UNITED NATIONS
U.S. ties up loose ends on Iraq resolution
The United States pushed for a quick U.N. vote yesterday on a revised Iraq res-
olution which threatens Saddam Hussein with "serious consequences," while try-
ing to ease concerns about setting off a new war.
But after eight weeks of intensive wrangling in the Security Council, and some
major concessions by the Bush administration, France and Russia are still not sat-
isfied.
French President Jacques Chirac called Russia's Vladimir Putin yesterday to
discuss the new text and both agreed that "ambiguities" that could be used to trig-
ger an attack on Iraq must be removed, Chirac's spokeswoman said.
Nonetheless, both leaders saw "many improvements" in the new U.S. proposal,
Colonna said.
U.S. Ambassador John Negroponte said the United States intends to put the
draft resolution to a vote tomorrow and "deserves consensus support."
If the resolution is adopted tomorrow, Iraq would have seven days to accept the
terms. U.N. chief weapons inspector Hans Blix said an advance team would be in
Baghdad within 10 days of its acceptance.
6
FAIRFAX, Va. (AP) - A Virginia
prosecutor charged sniper suspects
John Allen Muhammad and 17-year-
old John Lee Malvo with capital
murder yesterday in the killing of an
FBI analyst, saying he believes he
has sufficient evidence to go to trial
immediately.
Muhammad and Malvo, who have
been accused in 17 shootings in four
states and Washington, D.C., were
charged with murder in the Oct. 14
shooting of Linda Franklin in the park-
ing deck of a Home Depot store. They
were also charged with using a firearm
in the commission of a felony.
Fairfax Commonwealth's Attorney
Robert Horan said he waited longer than
other prosecutors to bring charges
because he wanted to see the evidence in
the case. He said his decision to act now
is "because I was satisfied I had enough
evidence to go to trial."
It remained uncertain which jurisdic-
tion will try the suspects first. Attorney
General John Ashcroft said yesterday
the decision will be made after a "fact-
driven analysis" of where prosecutors
have the best evidence and the best law
to bring about the death penalty.
"I think it's well-understood on my
part that I believe appropriate penalties
for the kinds of atrocities that have been
committed to include the ultimate sanc-
tion of the death penalty," Ashcroft told
reporters.
The two men have been accused of
killing 12 people and wounding five in
Alabama, Louisiana, Maryland, Virginia
and Washington, D.C. Muhammad was
I
indicted in Fairfax County by a grand
jury; Malvo was charged in a juvenile
court petition, authorities said.
Horan, who wouldn't discuss specific
evidence in the case, rejected the idea
.that prosecutors have been bickering
over who will try the snipers first. He
called it "absolute nonsense."
"It's the duty of each of us to pursue
homicide charges," Horan said.
He said he will respect Ashcroft's
decision about who prosecutes first, but
if the attorney general defers to the
states, Virginia should go first because it
has a strong death penalty statute.
"We have death penalty statue that has
stood the test of time," Horan said.
Horan said that if the case is sent to
Virginia, he'll meet with the prosecutors
in Prince William and Spotsylvania
counties, where fatal sniper shootings
also took iace, to decide who will pros-
ecute first based on the best evidence.
Investigations are pending into
several other shootings, including
one in Arizona.
The Washington Post reported yester-
day that law enforcement sources said a
laptop computer seized from Muham-
mad's car was stolen Sept. 5 in a rob-
bery-shooting outside a pizzeria in
Prince George's County, Md. An
employee was wounded.
Federal prosecutors earlier filed
charges against Muhammad under
weapons and extortion laws that could
bring the death penalty. Federal charges
have also apparently been brought
against Malvo, but authorities will not
say so because he is a juvenile.
RAMADAN
Continued from Page 1A
I feel like it is a bigger responsibili-
ty now because I'm doing it by
myself. There's no family here so I
have to take care of myself and do
this for myself," Khader said.
"There was no doubt in my mind
that I wouldn't practice because I
wasn't around my family. Ramadan
is about family coming together, but
it's also about inner strength. It's a
very introspective time and you're
on your own. ... It's a lot about self-
reflection," Khader said.
Along with the separation from
family comes the separation from
friends who practice as well and
often serve as a support system.
"During high school, me and my
Muslim friends would sit together at
lunch to support each other. My
comfort level just came with my
surroundings. ...It was the natural
thing to do," Khader said.
The University Housing system is
accommodating Muslim students
who live in residence halls by
adjusting meal plans for Ramadan.
"I'm on a 13-meal plan and of
course I can't eat during lunch
because I'm fasting. Housing has
worked it out so that the money,
which would usually go toward a
lunch credit, goes into my entree
plus account. It seems like it will
work out well, but it has been only a
day," Khader said.
According to a Muslim Student
Association's press release, the fast
is performed to learn discipline,
self-restraint and generosity, while
obeying God's commandments.
Fasting is one of the "five pillars"
of Islam.
The end of Ramadan will be
marked by communal prayers called
"Eid ul-Fitr," or Feast of the Fast-
Breaking, on Dec. 6.
"Ramadan is a reinforcement of
faith to me. This whole month is
about thanking God for all he has
done," Khader said.
KNjpow 9! ~
WASH INGTON .
U.S. debates reaction
to N. Korea's plans
The United States is seeking a com-
mon understanding with allies on
whether to bar U.S. oil shipments to
North Korea in response to Pyongyang's
plans to develop a uranium bomb, the
State Department said yesterday.
Secretary of State Colin Powell had
been planning to raise the issue with
Japanese and South Korean officials in
Seoul on Sunday but canceled the trip
so he could focus on an Iraq resolution
being debated by the U.N. Security
Council.
Powell is dispatching Assistant Sec-
retary of State James Kelly to Japan,
South Korea and China to discuss oil
shipments and a variety of other issues.
Since 1994, the United States has been
sending 500,000 tons of heavy oil to
North Korea annually as part of a 1994
agreement.
At issue now is a shipment that is
due to arrive in North Korea later this
month.
JERUSALEM
Forecast favorable
for Sharon, Likud
Prime Minister Ariel Sharon's Likud
Party is favored to emerge as Israel's
strongest faction in an abbreviated elec-
tion campaign, and Sharon holds a slim
edge over his main rival for party
leader, Benjamin Netanyahu, according
to polls published yesterday.
Israel's political turmoil has been the
focus this week, but there's been no
letup in Mideast violence. A Palestinian
laborer shot and killed two Israelis,
including his employer, in the Gaza
Strip settlement of Slav yesterday
before being gunned down by a security
guard. The militant group Hamas
claimed responsibility.
Despite a long rivalry with Sharon,
former Prime Minister Netanyahu
agreed to serve as foreign minister in
Sharon's caretaker government. Parlia-
ment approved the appointment in a 61-
31 vote yesterday.
NANCY, France
Fire on train claims
lives of 12, injures 9
A fire on an overnight train in eastern
France filled a sleeping car with deadly
smoke yesterday, killing 12 people -
including five Americans from the same
family - and driving panicked passen-
gers to smash windows to jump to safety.
Then train, like others in Europe, had
no smoke detectors even though cigarette
smoking is allowed in designated cars.
Fatal rail accidents are rare in France,
where trains are known for speed, safety
and efficiency. Accidents, however, are
not unknown in Europe. A high-speed
train derailed in Germany in 1998,
killing 101 people.
Yesterday's blaze, which also
injured nine people, was initially
blamed on an electrical short-circuit.
But the French rail authority SNCF
said that was premature and the cause,
was under investigation.
- Compiled from Daily wire reports.
As an engineer in
the U.S. Air Force,
there's no telling what
You'll work on.
(Seriously, we can't tell you.)
United States Air Force applied technology is years ahead
of what you'll touch in the private sector, and as a new
engineer you'll likely be involved at the ground level of new
and sometimes classified developments. You'll begin leading
and managing within this highly respected group from day
one. Find out what's waiting behind the scenes for you in
the Air Force today. To request more information, call
1-800-423-USAF or log on to airforce.com.
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EDITORIAL STAFF Jon Schwartz, Editor in Chief
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