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_Nation & World_ U.S. worried about new Chinese stance on Taiwan that the administration was not repudi ating the Chinese with enough force. “We need to articulate more clear ly where we are,” said Sen. Craig Thomas, R-Wyo., chairman of the East Asian and Pacific subcommittee. Sen. John Keny, D-Mass., said Chi na’s statement “is unacceptable” and that the administration had the respon sibility to make sure that China “not misinterpret where we are — in one way or the other.” At the State Department, spokesman James Rubin said it would be a mis take to exaggerate the significance of the Chinese statement. “We’ve had much worse periods on this question in the past,” he said. He added that the administration isn’t con sidering any change in its opposition to legislation before Congress to strength en U.S.-Taiwanese military relations. Rubin said military ties with Taiwan, authorized under the Taiwan Relations Act, has enabled the United States to be “second-to-none” in its support of the anti-communist bastion. He said that arrangement has served U.S. interests extremely well. “Nobody should doubt our will ingness to act in our own national in terest,” Rubin said. In 1996, China fired nuclear-capa ble missiles near Taiwan’s two largest ports, prompting the United States to send two aircraft carriers and other war ships to the region. China’s muscle-flexing at the time was related to impending presidential elections. The new threat from Beijing appeared aimed at influencing presi dential elections on Taiwan set for next month. Analysts said China seems in tent on discouragirig support for the can didate most identified with the pro-in dependence sector on Taiwan. Lockhart recalled that in 1996, “we responded appropriately to what was viewed as a threat. And that should give you some indication of how we view this situation.” At the Pentagon, spokesman Ken neth Bacon said there has been no change in U.S. military operations in the Pa cific in response to the threat. “It is only rhetoric at this point,” Bacon said. Bacon said “it would be extremely difficult for China to carry out an in vasion” of Taiwan, given the Chinese military’s limited capacity to execute a large amphibious operation. Lin Chong-pin, Taiwan’s vice chair man of a council that handles Taiwan’s China policy, wouldn’t directly address the new threat but said tensions would n’t ease as long as Beijing refuses to ac knowledge that China is split and each side is controlled by a separate govern ment. Russian defense minister: Rebels have no wav out by Nick Wad hams Associated Press Grozny, Russia—Thousands of rebels in Chechnya’s mountains have “no way out” as Russian forces backed by ar tillery and air attacks close in on them, Russia’s defense minister said Tuesday. About 20,000 Russian troops nearly completed a blockade of the Atgun Goige, a key passage into the rugged slopes of Chechnya’s mountains, the military said Tuesday. Russian waiplanes and helicopter gunships flew more than 150 combat mis sions over the area in 24 hours, it said. The Interfax news agency, citing sources at a Russian base in Khankala, said a Russian helicopter was lost Tues day in the Argun Goige. The Defense Ministry made no immediate comment on the report. Russian strategists remained concerned about a rebel resuigence, and have warned repeatedly over the past weeks that rebels are planning substantial attacks for Wednesday. The day is both a Russian hol iday honoring the military and a tradi tional Chechen commemoration of the beginning of their mass deportation to Central Asia in 1944 under Soviet dicta tor Josef Stalin. Apparently in response to those con cerns, Russia closed all its border cross ings into Chechnya on Tuesday. Russia previously has shut border crossings for periods ranging up to several days at a time. In southern Chechnya, the rebels maintained their tight grip on the village of Duba-Yurt at the entrance to the Ar gun Goige, according to the news agency Interfax. But Defense Minister Igor Sergeyev said the fighters “have no way out anymore,” Interfax reported. But the rebels, skilled in guerrilla techniques, have repeatedly shown during the 5-month-old war that they are able to slip through Russian lines. They have mouthed surprise attacks on Russ ian-held towns, and many fighters broke out of the capital, Grozny, this month, even though the city was encircled. In the ruins of Grozny, troops ap peared tense on Tuesday, generally stick ing close to their checkpoints and bunkeis. Soldiers were overheard discussing ru mors that the Chechen warlord Khat tab was leading a band of 700 fighters to attack Gudermes, Chechnya’s second laigest city. Human Rights Watch said Tuesday it had documented accounts of a mas sacre of Chechen civilians that could be the worst atrocity of the war. The group said at least 62 people died in Aldi, on the outskirts of Grozny, in a two-day rampage that began Feb. 5. It said about 100 soldiers systematically robbed and shot civilians. The troops also committed several rapes and hurled grenades into basements where residents were hiding, the group said, citing sur vivors’ accounts. Russia has repeatedly denied re ports that its troops have taken part in atrocities. While Russian aircraft slammed the mountains with bombs and rockets, troops moving toward the rebels' mountain stronghold of Shatoi seized heights near the villages of Makhkety and Selmen tazhen, the military said. Up to 5,000 fighters are concentrated around Sha toi, Interfax reported, citing military sources. Soldiers have been fighting the rebels at the entrance to the Aigun Gorge for weeks, and the flank offensive on villages east of the gorge seemed aimed at encir cling the separatists. In a tacit acknowledgment of the rebels’ ability to maneuver around Russ ian troops, Sergeyev said his forces were determined to wipe out the rebels before spring melted the mountain snow, which could open new escape routes. A group of rebels tried to break out of the Argun Gorge and into neighboring Georgia, but were fought back by Russ ian border guards, the news agency ITAR Tass reported Tuesday. by George Gedda Associated Press Washington—The Clinton acjmin istration expressed concern Tuesday over a warning by China that it could use force if Taiwan delays indefinitely reunification talks with Beijing. U.S. diplomats relayed the admin istration’s concerns to Chinese author ities in Beijing and Washington just a day after China issued the threat in an 11,000-word position paper. At the White House, presidential spokesman Joe Lockhart recalled that the United States sent two aircraft carriers and other warships to the re gion to calm a crisis four years ago. “Wfe reject any use of force or any threat of force in this situation,” Lock hart said. “Wfe believe that peaceful dialogue and bilateral engagement between the sides is the way to move forward,” he said “Wfe have repeated I think, in both actions and words that we view any threat to Taiwan with grave concern.” Meanwhile, Stanley Roth, assistant secretary of state for East Asian and Pa cific Affairs, told the Senate Foreign Re lations Committee that the Chinese po sition paper appeared to be contrary to “the policy that is the bedrock of our relations” with China and Taiwan. 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