NATION/WORLD
UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
5B
Wednesday, November 2, 1994
Middle East countries sign historic deal to boost trade
The Associated Press
CASABLANCA, Morocco — Capping three days of unprecedented debates and deal-making among traditional Mideast rivals and enemies, Arab, Israeli and Western leaders agreed yesterday to form commercial institutions to capitalize on peace.
lished to foster projects discussed here by more than 2,500 business people and government officials.
A regional development bank, tourism board, chamber of commerce and business council are to be estab-
A permanent secretariat is to be opened in Morocco, playing host to the inaugural Middle East-North Africa economic summit.
The Casablanca gathering's main achievements were molded in small, casual encounters in the halls of King Hassan II's sumptuous royal palace.
tative, Amital Selbst, said he found Egyptian and Jordanian business people very open to his offers to market Israeli electronics products in their countries.
One Israeli manufacturer's represen-
In his meeting with Saudi Arabians and businessmen from Persian Gulf countries, Selbst said he had to stick to "setting up marketing channels" for U.S. products that he would later use for Israeli goods "when the time is right."
But the economic summit, which is supposed to be repeated in Amman, Jordan, during the second half of next year, also reflected the continuing divisions in the Middle East.
Absent were representatives of Syria, Lebanon and Iraq. The summit's closing declaration expressed hope that the first two would join in regional economic cooperation.
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California may cut benefits to all illegal aliens
The Associated Press
SAN DIEGO — Seventeen-year-old Miriam Peniche came to the United States with her family when she was 8, crossing the border from Mexico illegally.
Never politically involved before, Peniche said this issue had hit home.
Now a legal resident and a senior at Reseda High School, Peniche last week helped lead one of the many student walkouts across the state against Proposition 187, the ballot measure that would cut off all state benefits to illegal aliens.
Proposition 187 on the Nov. 8 ballot would cut off school, welfare and nonemergency health care to undocumented immigrants and require school and health officials to turn suspected illegal aliens in.
In the last few weeks, California has seen some of its most active student protests in years. Marches and walkouts have erupted on middle school, high school and college campuses across the state.
On Oct. 21, Los Angeles County sheriff's deputies fired nonlethal rubber grenades into a crowd of 450 students and adults in Paramount. No injuries were reported.
As a result, organizations fighting Proposition 187 have asked law enforcement agencies not to use force when dealing with student protesters.
"Educators have totally lost control of students," said Robert Kiley, campaign manager for Proposition 187. "Schools are teaching children to ignore authority."
Russian nationalist granted U.S. visa
The Associated Press
MOSCOW — Yesterday the United States approved a visit by Russian nationalist Vladimir Zhirinovsky for later this month but went out of its way to make clear that it abhors many of his extreme political views.
"The fact that Mr. Zhirinovsky is receiving a visa is not an endorsement of his views nor does it indicate any support for his ambitions," the embassy statement said.
Four weeks after Zhirinovsky applied for the visa, the U.S. Embassy in Moscow said that it would grant it in light of America's "long and respected tradition of allowing freedom of speech to all persons.
Administration officials said recently that Zhirinovsky's trip would have to be approved by Secretary of State Warren Christopher. They said the only grounds for rejecting his visa would be if Christopher concluded that the trip "would have potentially serious adverse foreign policy consequences."
Zhirinovsky's political stock and popularity have declined recently, but he has made the United States the target of numerous verbal tirades. During last year's campaign he called it the "empire of evil," and recently he has accused the CIA of ruling Russia.
Deficit brings on NAACP cutbacks The Associated Press
BALTIMORE — The NAACP sent home all of its approximately 90 employees this week as it struggled with a $3.5 million deficit that was blamed on former executive director Benjamin Chavis.
The overall layoff order was for a week, although many employees will be out of work longer, officials said.
Many of the staffers are planning to work without pay so the civil rights group won't shut down, said Joseph Madison, a Washington radio personality and NAACP board member.
In addition to its crushing deficit, the organization has been spending about $40,000 a day while bringing in only $15,000 a day. Rasheed said.
NAACP board members have accused Chavis of running up the deficit. Chavis has said he inherited the debt from his predecessor, Benjamin Hooks, who has denied that.
Chavis was ousted in August after it was disclosed that he had agreed, without the board's knowledge, to pay $332,000 in NAACP money to settle sexual discrimination allegations brought by a former employee.