WEDNESDAY, APRIL 10, 2002 THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN = 7A Space shuttle to deliver first framework to space station The Associated Press Atlantis is hauling a 44-footlong, 141/2-foot-wide aluminum girder that is full of plumbing and wiring and, with 475,000 parts, ranks right behind the space station laboratory in terms of complexity. CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. — With every lap around Earth, space shuttle Atlantis drew closer to the international space station yesterday to deliver the first piece of a framework that ultimately will outstretch a football field. The three men who have been living on the space station since December awaited their first guests, due today. They described Atlantis as a "hot star on our tail." "It takes up pretty much the whole payload bay," astronaut Ellen Ochoa said. "You just look out and you think, 'Wow, it looks beautiful, and we can't wait to get started on all the operations.' We're just raring to go." Ochoa will use the space station's robot arm to attach the girder to the 240-mile-high outpost on Thursday. Then two teams of spacewalkers will take turns going out to hook everything up. One of those spacewalkers is Jerry Ross, who already holds the U.S. spacewalking record, with seven outings. He will rack up two more on this mission. On Monday, Ross, an astronaut for 22 years, became the first person to fly in space seven times. On his previous shuttle flight, in 1998, Ross helped strap together the first two rooms of the space station. The station has since expanded to five rooms, with a total mass of about 300,000 pounds. The girder being delivered by Atlantis' seven astronauts will add 27,000 pounds. The $600 million girder will serve as the backbone for a framework that eventually will extend 356 feet and support a collection of giant solar wings and radiators. A $190 million railcar and track already are attached to the girder and will be used to transport the space station's robot arm and cargo from one end of the complex to the other. Attorney charged with aiding terrorist group The Associated Press NEW YORK — An attorney and three other people were indicted yesterday on charges they helped an Islamic militant imprisoned in the United States communicate with his followers in Egypt. The indictment accuses the defendants of supporting the Egyptian-based terrorist organization known as the Islamic Group by passing messages "to and from the imprisoned Sheik Omar Abdel-Rahman." Among the four is Lynne Stewart, a lawyer for the sheik. The indictment charges that the unlawful communications with the sheik happened during prison visits and attorney telephone calls involving Stewart and Mohammed Yousry, an Arabic translator who was also charged. Attorney General John Ashcroft said the Islamic Group had "a message of hate that is now tragically familiar to Americans." He said the others charged as Ahmed Abdel Sattar, a Staten Island man described as a "surrogate" for Abdel-Rahman; and Yassir Al-Sirri, the former head of the London-based Islamic Observation Center. AlSirri was charged with "facilitating communications among Islamic Group members and providing financing for their activities." Ashcroft said Rahman allegedly used communications with Stewart, translated by Youssir, to pass messages to and receive messages from Sattar, Al-Siri and other Islamic Group members. Stewart, Sattar and Yousry were all in federal custody. Al-Sirri was in custody in the United Kingdom. The attorney general announced that the Justice Department had, for the first time, invoked the authority to monitor communications between Abdel-Rahman and his attorneyvs. Abdel-Rahman, 63, is serving a life sentence in the United States for conspiring to assassinate Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak and for blowing up five New York City landmarks in the 1990s. "The sheik is a person whose leadership is substantial in the community of terrorists," he said. He added that the indictment didn't allege there were any conversations about the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks. the Sept. 14 terrorist. The indictment alleges the sheik in October 2000 issued an edict titled "Fatwah Mandating the Bloodshed of Israelis Everywhere," which called on "brother scholars everywhere in the Muslim world to do their part and issue an unanimous fatwah (edict) that urges the Muslim nation to fight the Jews and kill them wherever they are." Stewart was arrested by federal agents yesterday morning, according to her lawyer, Susan Tipograph. A woman answering the phone in Stewart's office said FBI agents with a search warrant arrived at about 11:30 a.m. The four-story building that houses Stewart's offices was locked and a New York police officer stood guard outside. Former top aide charged in campaign scandal The Associated Press CHICAGO — Gov. George Ryan's campaign committee and a former top aide pleaded innocent yesterday to racketeering charges stemming from a federal investigation into a licenses-forbribes scheme that operated when Ryan was secretary of state. Scott Fawell, 44, Ryan's former campaign manager and chief of staff in the secretary of state's office, is accused of using state employees and money to do campaign work. The plea on behalf of the campaign was entered by attorney Mark Flessner, who objected when federal prosecutor Patrick Collins suggested the law firm be removed from the case because of a conflict of interest. He said he would file a motion Monday laying out specifics. The firm has represented Citizens for Ryan, the Illinois secrea tary of state's office and dozens of state employees and campaign workers who have become entangled in the scandal. Prosecutors also want Ryan's multimillion-dollar campaign fund frozen to make sure there is money left to pay the $1 million forfeiture they are seeking as part of the case. A federal judge gave the two sides until May 9 to work something out. Last week's indictment was the biggest to come out of the federal government's four-year investigation. The Republican governor has not been charged with any wrongdoing but decided not to seek a second term as the scandal grew. Richard Juliano, 34, the second-ranking member of Ryan's 1998 campaign for governor, is charged with mail fraud and is cooperating with prosecutors. His attorney said Juliano will plea guilty next week. Jurors in Traficant corruption trial fail to reach verdict after second day The Associated Presse CLEVELAND —Jurors failed to reach a verdict yesterday after deliberating a second day in the corruption trial of Rep. James A. Traficant Jr. Deliberations were scheduled to resume tomorrow. The blustery, nine-term congressman declared in closing arguments Monday: "There's not one damn bit of evidence that anybody gave me any money." But federal prosecutor Craig Morford disputed the claim and described a long list of bribes, gifts and favors that Traficant is accused of taking. The Democrat, known for his arm-waving tirades on the House floor against the IRS and the FBI, is accused of taking kickbacks from staff members and accepting gifts and free labor from businessmen in exchange for his political help. He also is accused of filing false tax returns. Traficant, who defended himself in the trial though he is not a lawyer, suggested during closing arguments that he was the victim of a government vendetta. "Congress has been passing laws. They have given the IRS and FBI too damn much power," he said. Morfond retorted that Traficant "is the government." "If the government's so bad, what's he been doing for the last 18 years?" Morford said. Enron auditor pleads guilty to obstructing justice The Associated Press HOUSTON — The Arthur Andersen auditor who oversaw Enron's books pleaded guilty yesterday to ordering the shredding of Enron documents and agreed to cooperate with prosecutors in a deal that could break the scandal wide open. Former partner David B. Duncan pleaded guilty to obstruction of justice, admitting he tried to thwart an Enron investigation by the Securities and Exchange Commission. "Documents were in fact destroyed so that they would not be available to the SEC," he told U.S. District Judge Melinda Harmon, reading from a statement. He is believed to be the first person in the Enron case to strike a deal with federal prosecutors. He had no comment as he left the courthouse. His attorney, Sam Seymour, said: "He's continuing his cooperation, as we've said all along." the charge carries up to 10 years in prison and hundreds of thousands of dollars in fines. Duncan remains free until his sentencing on Aug. 26. Duncan was fired by Andersen after the accounting firm acknowledged the large-scale destruction of documents and deletion of computer files related to the collapse of the energy giant, whose bankruptcy cost thousands of employees their jobs and, in many cases, their life savings. Andersen spokesman Patrick Dorton declined comment on Duncan's plea. Duncan could prove crucial in enabling prosecutors to build a case against Enron. Under the plea bargain, Duncan is immune to any further prosecution related to the Enron case as long as he fully cooperates with federal authorities — which could include testimony at future trials and agrees not to sell his story or otherwise profit from the debacle. As the senior auditor in charge of the Enron account, he would presumably have knowledge of the complex web of partnerships used by the company to keep millions of dollars in debt off its books. In court, Duncan described how he ordered Andersen employees on Oct. 21 to destroy certain documents two days after he learned that the SEC was investigating Enron. "I also personally destroyed such documents," Duncan told the judge. "I accept that my conduct violated federal law." Prosecutors said the shredding occurred between Oct. 23 and Nov. 9. The SEC notified Andersen on Nov. 8 that it would subpoena documents related the firm's work on Enron. A grand jury indicted Andersen on March 7 on a charge of obstructing justice, accusing the firm of destroying "tons of paper" at offices worldwide and deleting enormous numbers of computer files on its Enron audits. At times, the government said, the destruction was so frenetic that employees worked overtime and shredding machines could not keep up. The indictment was unsealed March 14. Andersen has pleaded innocent, and a trial is set for May 6. In the meantime, large numbers of Andersen clients are dropping the firm, and the company is struggling to save itself. Domestic & Foreign Complete Car Care 842-8665 2858 Four Wheel Dr. Summit House Apartments Now taking applications for Fall 2002 - 1 BR & 1 BR Loft Apartment Available • Water and trash paid • Walking distance to Campus • Laundry facilities on site • Private off street parking • 24 hr. 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