Historical Newspapers of South Carolina

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_Nation & World _ Russia claims victory over Chechen rebels by Yuri Bagrov Associated Press Stariyeatrgi, Russia (AP) — Russian forces claimed control of Chechen rebels’ last major stronghold Tuesday, and sol diers elsewhere in the breakaway repub lic embraced and toasted each other in the belief that the move heralds the end of the war. But although troops raised the Russ ian flag over the town of Shatoi, fighting persisted in the mountains outside town and some rebels ventured out of the moun tains to launch attacks in the plains that Russia seized weeks ago. Most of the rebels who got out of the Chechen capital of Grozny alive were believed to have headed into the moun tains to join comrades; at one point, up to 4,000 rebels were estimated to be in Shatoi. The weeks of bombing and shelling weakened the rebels, and Russian troops ■ moved into the town Monday evening. Col. Gen. Gennady Troshev, a top Russian commander in Chechnya, said the fall of Shatoi marked the end of the full-scale military offensive. “Shatoi is the last populated point, a regional center, along with nine sur rounding settlements. Today, it is fully under the control of our forces,” he said. That news sparked elation in Stariye Atagi, a Russian military staging point 12 miles to the north. Soldiers hugged, fired shots into the air and toast ed each other with any alcohol they could find — even pure grain spirits. “Now I want to go home; they promised we will be the first to go,” said Pvt. Yuri Sevastyanov, 19. But lower-ranking Russian officers reported that fierce fighting was still un der way around Shatoi and that the rebels, far from destroyed, had instead escaped into nearby villages and could be expected to regroup for a counteroffensive. Capt. Mikhail Komarov said it was too early to celebrate victory, predicting that the rebels from several settlements would probably unite, and “we will get a second Shatoi.” “I’m just stunned by the helplessness of our military commanders, ” he said bit terly. “For how much longer will we be running around the mountains like goats?” At dawn, an estimated 300 rebels broke out of the mountains and attacked several villages near Urus-Martan, a sizable town in the flatlands. “There are too many of us in the mountains, so we began a war on the plains,” a field commander named Said Magomet, who led rebels in an attack outside the village of Goi-Chu, told an Associated Press reporter. The commander said he had lost five fighters. He also claimed that Chechen Pres ident Aslan Maskhadov had ordered rebels to move closer to Grozny and launch a large-scale offensive on the ruined capi tal, which fell to the Russians after a re lentless offensive drove out the rebels in early February. Rebels also battled federal forces try ing to penetrate the Argun Gorge. The military claimed that it had surrounded the villages of Duba-Yurt, Dachu-Borzoi and Chishki, all at the gorge’s northern end. The most intense fighting was further south, around the villages of Ulus-Kert, Zony and Kordon. An Associated Press reporter in the area said there was in cessant overnight shelling of the villages, and that not a single house had been left undamaged. Tor how much longer will we be running around the mountains like goats?’ Capt. Mikhail Komarov Russian military Shooting from page A4 accurate. Police Chief Eric King said he hadn’t heard of the girl or her story. He said investigators had interviewed the children who were in the class at the time of the shooting, and she wasn’t among them. Regardless of what the investigation reveals, it might be impossible to bring charges against the boy, the prosecutor said. But he said someone might face charges for enabling the boy to obtain the gun. “There is a presumption in law that a child... is not criminally responsible and can’t fomi an intent to kill,” the pros ecutor said. “Obviously, he has done a very terrible thing today, but legally, he can’t be held criminally responsible. We will get to the bottom of how that gun got into that little boy’s hands.” Chris De Witt, a spokesman for Michi gan Attorney General Jennifer Granholm, said the boy technically could be tried as an adult under state law if a judge finds he fits “a number of tests.” But he added: “It’s very doubtful that a 6-year-old would meet that test.” The boy is by far the youngest gun man in a series of deadly school shoot ings that have rocked communities around the country over the past three years. In 1998, two boys, 11 and 13, opened fire at a middle school in Jonesboro, Ark., killing four girls and a teacher. “Where does it stop? First-graders shooting first-graders. The culture of violence is manifesting itself here with what occurred,” said Sam Riddle, a spokesman for the family of Isaiah Shoels, who was among 12 students killed by teen-age gunmen Dylan Klebold and Er ic Harris at Columbine High School in April. Leap Day brings few computer glitches by Anick Jesdanun Associated Press Leap Day brought.scattered and mi nor computer glitclies around the world Tuesday in perhaps the final echo of the Y2K problem that wasn’t. At a nuclear plant in Japan, a com puter system that monitors employee work hours shut down but didn’t affect operations. Tlie Monju plant, 220 miles west ofTokyo, hasn't produced nuclear energy since 1995. At Japan's Meteorological Agency, weather monitoring stations reported double-digit rainfall even though no rain fell outside, while computers at six ob servatories failed to recognize Feb. 29. Elsewhere in Japan, seismographs at more than 20 sites considered Tues day as March 1, and the postal service had problems with receipt printers for registered mail and display screens for interest rates. In addition, 1,200 auto mated teller machines at post offices shut down, although officials were un sure whether Leap Day was to blame. In New Zealand, merchants kid trou ble verifying banking transactions and government experts said as many as 4.000 money transfer terminals might have been affected before the problem was fixed. The Jakarta Stock Exchange was closed Tuesday as a precaution for fear that the automatic trading system would encounter computer problems, while the Singapore subway system rejected some riders’ cards. The problems were dismissed as mi nor by Bruce McConnell, who heads a United Nations-World Bank moni toring group for Y2K. “I would conclude that, as we pre dicted, there will not be any significant disruptions, and the world will barely notice Leap Day,” he said fronvWhsh ington late Monday. There were no early reports of prob ■» lems as Leap Day arrived in the United States. The North American Electric Reliability Council declared shortly af ter midnight Eastern time that all pow er systems in the United States and Cana da were “in green status.” Computers have had difficulties in leap years before. Four years ago, for instance, Arizona Lottery players could n't buy tickets because its computer failed to understand Leap Day. Sony Corp. said older video cam eras and word processors might fail to recognize Feb. 29, wliile Microsoft Ex cel 2000 users might have problems computing financial bonds if they failed to get an update. This year is more troublesome be cause it’s an exception to an exception. Normally, years that end in “00" aren't leap years, but 2000 is because it's di visible by 400. Phillip Morris willing to discuss some regulation, executive says Associated Press New York —A Philip Morris Cos. ex ecutive said the nation’s laigest cigarette maker is willing to discuss some gov ernment regulation of the embattled tobacco industry. Senior vice president Steven Parrish said the company still opposes efforts by the Food and Drug Administration to clas sify and regulate tobacco as a drug, an is sue at the core of a pending U.S. Supreme Court case. Parrish said he has met recently with U.S. lawmakers to discuss the company’s “willingness to open up a dialogue and look at the right regulatory approach.” Parrish said the company would be willing to discuss regulating cigarettes in such areas as sales to young people, re search on safer products and the disclo sure of ingredients. His comments appeared Tuesday in The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times and The Washington Post. Details of the company’s policy shift were ex pected to be announced Thursday. Michael Pfeil, a spokesman for Pltilip Morris’s domestic tobacco division in New York, said Parrish was unavailable today to elaborate on his remarks to the newspapers. But he said the company feels that “there is some level of acceptable reg ulation of cigarettes as cigarettes but not as medical devices.” President Clinton said in Washington that he was “heartened” by the reports. “If Philip Morris is ready to support the FDA provisions of the tobacco bill the industry and the congressional lead ership killed just two years ago. that is an important step forward,” the president told reporters before leaving the White House for a political fund-raising trip to Florida. “Every day, 3,000 young people smoke for the first time and 1,000 oth ers will die earlier as a result,” Clinton said. “We have a duty to everything we can to save and lengthen their lives by protecting our young people of the dangers of tobacco.” When asked by a lawmaker Tues day about the reports, FD\ Commissioner Jane Henney said only that the agency would have to “wait and see what is pro posed.” The statements are a departure from the industry’s stance against government oversight. Tobacco companies have been shak en by courtroom battles and the multi billion-dollar settlement with states over money spent treating sick smokers. Philip Morris has acknowledged that smoking causes cancer and other dead ly diseases and is trying to improve its public unage with a $100 million cam paign to publicize how it lias helped dis aster victims, the hungry and abused women. University of South Carolina mm SAFE SPRING U“ BREAK WEEK 2000 Beware of-the "TRAPS!” TODAY (WEDNESDAY. MARCH 1) Spring Break Stock Up 10 am to 2 pm - Russell House (First Floor Lobby, outside the GMP) FREE Spring Break goodies, Contests and Door Prizes. Campus Alcohol Policy Workshop 11 am - Russell House Room 301 * GAMMA Meeting Topic: The Costs of DUI 4 pm* Russell House Room 315 Learn first hand how a DUI conviction can cost you more than your money. see HAVE A HAPPY & SAFE SPRING BREAK! Actual times, dates or events may change due to funding or programmatic decisions For additional Information, please contact the USC Office of Alcohol & Prug Programs at 777-6668. Office of Alcohol 4 Drug rhograms • Department of Student Ufe • Division of Student 4 Alumni Services % \ f .} (