2 - The Michigan Daily - Tuesday, January 27, 2004
4
NATION/WORLD
Judge strikes down part o Patiot t NEWS IN BRIEF
HEALtNES R IEFRL
LOS ANGELES (AP) - For the asserted that the portion at issue in the the plaintiffs were threatened with 15 Kurdistan Workers' Party and the Lib-
fwct ~ m nPo - ln~-o1- Ao.I..- a _ -I. . .._.. - "- -"'--' -he-.--p" rtnIn at..issue,.in. thet
irst time, a federal judge has declared
unconstitutional a section of the USA
Patriot Act that bars giving expert
advice or assistance to groups desig-
nated foreign terrorist organizations.
In a ruling handed down late Friday
and made available yesterday, U.S.
District Judge Audrey Collins said the
ban is impermissibly vague in its
wording.
The U.S. Justice Department is
reviewing the ruling, spokesman Mark
Corallo said in a statement from Wash-
mgton.
Corallo called the Patriot Act - the
federal anti-terrorism statute passed in
the aftermath of Sept. 11 - "an essen-
tial tool in the war on terror" and
ruling was only a modest amendment
to a pre-existing anti-terrorism law. .
David Cole, a Georgetown Universi-
ty law professor who argued the case
on behalf of the Humanitarian Law
Project, declared the ruling "a victory
for everyone who believes the war on
terrorism ought to be fought consistent
with constitutional principles."
"It is the first federal court decision
declaring any part of the Patriot Act
unconstitutional," he said.
The case before the court involved
five groups and two U.S. citizens seek-
ing to provide support for lawful, non-
violent activities on behalf of Kurdish
refugees in Turkey.
The Humanitarian Law Project said
years in prison if. they advised groups
on seeking a peaceful resolution of the
Kurds' campaign for self-determina-
tion in Turkey.
The judge's ruling said the law, as
written, does not differentiate between
impermissible advice on violence and
encouraging the use of peaceful, non-
violent means to achieve goals.
"The USA Patriot Act places no lim-
itation on the type of expert advice and
assistance which is prohibited and
instead bans the provision of all expert
advice and assistance regardless of its
nature," the judge said.
The ruling specified that the plain-
tiffs seek to provide support to "the
lawful, nonviolent activities" of the
eration Tigers of Tamil Eelam, an
advocate group for the Tamil people in
Sri Lanka. Both groups are on a list
issued by former Secretary of State
Madeline Albright in 1997 of "foreign
terrorist organizations"
In Sri Lanka, the Tamil Tiger rebels
have been engaged in a two-decade
civil war that has killed more than
65,000 people. Turkey's military has
been battling Kurdish rebels seeking
autonomy since 1984, a fight that has
left some 37,000 people dead.
Under the Patriot Act, the U.S. pro-
hibition on providing "material sup-
port" or "resources" to terrorist groups
was expanded to include "expert
advice or assistance."
Bush officials soften
Iraqi WMD claims
Celebrity endorsement
WASHINGTON
Deficits to total $2.4 trillion over 10 years
Federal deficits will total nearly $2.4 trillion over the next decade, the Congres-
sional Budget Office projected yesterday, a worsening of nearly $1 trillion since
its last forecast in August.
In its annual wintertime economic update, Congress' nonpartisan fiscal analyst
also projected that the red ink would hit a record $477 billion this year.
Though the report envisions next year's shortfall dipping to $362 billion,
the estimates are sure to become ammunition in the election-year fight over
red ink.
Already, Democrats are hitting President Bush for the stark reversal from huge
surpluses of just three years ago, while conservative Republicans are criticizing
him for excessive spending as well.
"The president wants to go to Mars, and he's got deficits going to the moon,"
said Sen. Kent Conrad of North Dakota, top Democrat on the Senate Budget
Committee.
Treasury Secretary John Snow, in a speech delivered via satellite to a confer-
ence in London, repeated the administration's commitment to cut the deficit in
half over the next five years.
"Makeno mistake; President Bush is serious about the deficit," Snow said.
BAGHDAD, Iraq
Gunmen kill seven police officers in Iraq
Insurgents fired a rocket at the headquarters of the US.-led coalition yesterday
night after gunmen killed seven Iraqi policemen in a pair of attacks west of Bagh-
dad. A senior Iraqi official blamed al-Qaida for many of the suicide bombings
around the country in recent weeks.
In the north, military divers searched the muddy waters of the Tigris River for
three missing U.S. soldiers, including two pilots of an OH-58D Kiowa Warrior
helicopter that crashed Sunday in Mosul during rescue operations after a patrol
boat capsized.
It was the fifth U.S. helicopter lost in Iraq this month.
Strong explosions reverberated through the heart of this troubled capital about
10:35 p.m., followed by sirens and a recorded message warning those in the coali-
tion headquarters compound known as the green zone to "take cover."
A coalition official said at least one rocket, apparently fired from across the
Tigris, exploded in a parking lot near the Republican Palace, used by America's
top civilian administrator in Iraq, L. Paul Bremer, and senior coalition staff, but it
caused no damage or casualties.
WASHINGTON (AP) - The White
House retreated yesterday from its
once-confident claims that Iraq had
weapons of mass destruction, and
Democrats swiftly sought to turn the
about-face into an election-year issue
against President Bush.
The administration's switch came
after retired chief U.S. weapons inspec-
tor David Kay said he had concluded,
after nine months of searching, that
Saddam Hussein did not have stockpiles
of forbidden weapons. Asked about
Kay's remarks, White House
spokesman Scott McClellan refused to
repeat oft-stated assertions that prohibit-
ed weapons eventually would be found.
McClellan said the inspectors
should continue their work "so that
they can draw as complete a picture as
possible. And then we can learn - it
will help us learn the truth."
Kay was called to appear at a public
hearing of the Senate Armed Services
Committee tomorrow and agreed to
attend, a Senate aide said.
Sen. John Kerry, seeking the Democ-
ratic presidential nomination, said Bush
had misled the nation. "When the presi-
dent of the United States looks at you
and tells you something, there should be
some trust," Kerry said from the cam-
paign trail in Keene, N.H. "He's broken
every one of those promises."
Democratic candidate Howard Dean
said, "The White House has not been
candid with the American people about
virtually anything with the Iraq war."
The U.S. war against terrorism is
Bush's strongest suit against Democ-
rats, and his handling of Iraq has the
approval of more than half of Ameri-
cans questioned in polls. Analysts said
it was doubtful the weapons issue
would hurt Bush much.
"It depends on how the Democrats
play it," said James Thurber, director of
the Center for Congressional and Pres-
idential Studies at American Universi-
ty. "Basically they're dominating the
news as much as the president is these
days, and if they continue to criticize
the president on this, then it begins to
hurt a little bit.
"But basically he is doing so well in
the polls at this point, on the economy
but also even on the war, that I don't
see it as a major hit,' Thurber said.
Senate Minority Leader Tom Daschle
called for an investigation into the
"administration's role in the intelligence
failures leading up to the war with Iraq."
Sen. Joe Lieberman, another Demo-
cratic candidate, campaigning in New
Hampshire, also urged an investigation
or congressional hearings "on the
intelligence that some of us saw direct-
ly, and the statements that the adminis-
tration was making and the emphasis
the administration was putting on
weapons of mass destruction."
Vice President Dick Cheney, meet-
ing in Rome with Italian Premier Sil-
vio Berlusconi, did not answer when a
reporter asked if he felt prewar intelli-
gence was faulty.
JEFF LEHNERT/Daily
Martin Sheen introduces Howard Dean yesterday at a campaign
rally in Manchester, N.H., the site of today's presidential primaries.
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KABUL, Afghanistan
Karzai approves new
Afghan constitution
President Hamid Karzai signed
Afghanistan's new constitution into law
yesterday, putting into force a charter
meant to reunite his war-shattered
nation and help defeat a virulent Tal-
iban insurgency.
Seated next to Afghanistan's former
King Mohammed Zaher Shah in a
palace at the Foreign Ministry, Karzai
signed a decree formally declaring the
162-article document ratified earlier this
month as the country's supreme law.
"Congratulations!" he called to
Afghan leaders who helped draw up the
new charter, as Cabinet ministers and
foreign diplomats applauded at the
brief ceremony.
The step was just the latest under a
U.N.-sponsored peace drive designed to
rebuild the Afghan state since a U.S.-
led invasion drove out the Taliban two
years ago. The constitution outlines a
tolerant, democratic Islamic state under
a strong presidency.
WASH INGTON
High court to review
execution of minors
The Supreme Court, which two years
ago abolished executions for the men-
tally retarded, said yesterday it will now
consider ending the execution of killers
who were younger than 18 when they
committed their crimes.
The court said it will reopen the ques-
tion of whether executing very young
killers violates the Constitution's ban on
"cruel and unusual punishment." Cur-
rently, states that allow the death penalty
may impose it on killers who were 16 or
17 at the time of their crimes.
A decision will probably come in the
court's next term, as the court continues
to re-examine who belongs on death row
and how the death penalty is carried out.
TOKYO
4
PETITION
Continued from Page 1
on greek life, Harper said no changes
have been finalized.
Harper's plan is perceived as affect-
ing mostly fraternities, because sorori-
ties already have live-in advisors and
substance-free housing policies in
place. But Stasik noted that both frater-
nities and sororities would be affected
by a delay on rushing.
The petition, which was ratified at
an IFC meeting last week, was devel-
oped in response to what members of
the Greek community felt was a lack
of student input in the formation of the
University's proposal.
"It is unfortunate that some mem-
bers of the Greek community do not
feel as though they have been
involved," Harper said.
Harper said she has already met
with Greek Council representatives
and other meetings have been planned
with the Greek community, the campus
community, the Michigan Student
Assembly, Greek alums, University
faculty and staff and others.
Harper said her initial recommenda-
tions are not the end of the process of
reforming the Greek system.
"The next steps include ... establish-
ing the Greek Life Advisory Board, a
broad-based group that will include
students, faculty and staff," she said.
"Any final recommendations will be
preceded by thorough discussions with
students and other stakeholders."
A meeting between Harper and the
IFC has not yet been arranged, but
Bourke said he and other IFC execu-
tive members would like to set up an
opportunity for discussion as soon as
possible.
Harper said she was not aware of the
petition until yesterday but said the
University's goal is to encourage stu-
dents to play a role in shaping the cam-
pus community.
"While students are free to sign peti-
tions, I also hope they will take the
opportunity to actively participate in
upcoming sessions to discuss these
issues," she said.
Bourke added that the petition is not
so much an exhortation as it is "more
of an information-gathering tool to
gauge where the community and the
University stands," he said.
Because the petition has only been
in rirrln+n f nr la ce t+an n mAfl., it is
Toyota passes Ford
in global auto sales
For months, sales data had been pre-
dicting a milestone for Toyota Motor
Corp. Yesterday, it was official: The
Japanese automaker surpassed Ford
Motor Co. of the United States in glob-
al sales for 2003 as the world's No. 2
automaker. But Toyota officials are
shrugging off the achievement.
"We have so much more to learn,"
Toyota President Fujio Cho told
reporters recently when asked about the
expected ranking change. "If this were a
marathon, we're so far behind we still
can't see Ford's back." Toyota confirmed
the tally it gave last Friday for worldwide
sales for 2003 of 6.78 million vehicles.
- Compiled from Daily wire reports
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