The Battalion
Thursday -July 17,19!
Dow makes surprising advances | Bosnian violence
With average at more than 8,000,
heightens with
explosion, murdet
investors are cautious but confident
NEW YORK (AP) — 10,000 by
2000?
With millennium markers
falling like dominoes in the path of
the mighty Dow Jones industrial
average, it’s not such a far-fetched
notion anymore.
Yes, caution remains the catch
word after the Dow’s surprising nine-
month romp past 6,000, 7,000, and,
on Wednesday, a 63.17-point ad
vance to 8,038.88.
There were, after all, extremely
tense moments just last summer and
once again this spring when it
seemed Wall Street’s joy ride might
come to a crashing halt.
Back then, few forecasters were
bold enough to predict the lightning
speed of the ensuing rebounds, and
fewer still dared set targets as lofty as
those the Dow and other stock mea
sures have since reached.
Yet, there’s been significant
change afoot in the market over
the past year, and not only in
stock prices.
Slowly but surely, the Wall Street
exuberance that had Federal Reserve
chairman Alan Greenspan so wor
ried in December is seeming less and
less irrational.
Where 6,000 and 7,000 pro
voked considerable anxiety— Has
the market gone too far too fast? —
the predictable shower of doubt
that has greeted the Dow’s most
recent exploits has been sprinkled
with an unusual dose of confi
dence, as if to say, “There’s some
method to this madness,” and,
“The best is yet to come.”
None of this would be possible,
of course, without ordinary
Americans who continue to shov
el savings into stock mutual
funds, fueling market demand
and pushing prices higher — a
self-fulfilling investment prophe
cy. But it hasn’t hurt that the eco
nomic backdrop has been nearly
utopian in recent months.
Milestones of the Dow Jones
Industrial Average
DOW
JONES
INDUSTRIAL
AVERAGE
Nov. 14, 1972 Jan. 8, ’87 Apr. 17, '91 Feb. 23, ’95
1,000 2,000 3,000 4,000
Nov. 20, ’955,000
Oct. 14, ’966,000
The Dow has been reaching its thousand-point milestones Feb. 13, ’97 7,000
in ever-decreasing periods of time. July 16, ’97 8,000
AP
Clinton selects Shelton to lead Joint Chiefs
WASHINGTON (AP) — Army Gen. Henry
Shelton, President Clinton’s choice to chair the
Joint Chiefs of Staff, is a nontraditional warrior
experienced in combatting the terrorist threats
and other “operations short of war” challenging
U.S. security.
Clinton was expected to make the choice of
his top military adviser public on Thursday. Of
ficials confirmed the selection Wednesday after
Shelton met with Clinton and Defense Secretary
William Cohen at the White House and later hud
dled alone with the president. Senate confirma
tion will be required.
Shelton, 55, a craggy-faced, 6-foot-5 general,
heads the Special Operations Command, based
in Florida.
Little known outside military circles, he has
won praise among his peers for deftly managing
the 1994 U.S. military operation in Haiti, which
switched at the last minute from a combat-style
invasion to a less hostile troop move. He was a
commander of helicopter forces in Desert Storm
and in special forces — once dubbed “Green
Berets” — in Vietnam.
Shelton is a nontraditional choice for chair
man. With a background in the Army’s “light” in
fantry and multi-service Special Operations
units, he is unlike the tankers, jet fliers or ship
drivers who have served as Joint Chiefs chairmen
in the past.
Instead, he is the four-star commander of elite
troops who hail from the Army, Navy and Air
Force. Designed to operate without fanfare, they
respond to a variety of nonconventional threats
— terrorism, insurgencies, sabotage — and work
with foreign militaries and local populations in
coordination with heavier forces.
Shelton said of his troops in a recent article pub
lished by the Pentagon, “They serve in the shad
ows against elusive foes and targets, in extremely
Gunfire exchanged on Korean border
of
North and South I japan
Koreans exchange!
heavy gunfire
Der
Line
marcation
^JAPAN
AP
SEOUL, South Korea (AP) —
North Korean soldiers exchanged
heavy gunfire Wednesday with
South Korean troops in the most
serious clash on the Korean penin
sula in almost a year.
North Korea said several of its sol
diers were wounded in die exchange
and accused South Korea of a “grave
armed provocative act.” South Korea
called it an “intentional provoca
tion” by North Korea.
No South Korean casualties
were reported.
It was the most serious clash be
tween the rival Koreas since Sep
tember, when a North Korean sub
marine went aground off South
Korea’s northeast coast. A massive
hunt for its occupants ended with
24 North Koreans killed and one
captured. Thirteen South Korean
soldiers and civilians also died,
some from friendly fire.
Wednesday, South Korean bor
der guards spotted at least seven
North Korean troops on the south
ern side of the demilitarized zone
and ordered them through a loud
speaker to withdraw, South Korea’s
Defense Ministry said.
When the North Korean soldiers
failed to respond, South Korean
soldiers fired some 200 warning
shots into the air, the ministry said.
The North Koreans fired their ri
fles at the South Korean soldiers, the
ministry said, and tire southern
guards then directed fire at the north
erners with machine guns and rifles.
Northern soldiers at a guard
post across the border returned fire
with 10 mortar rounds and two
more rounds of unidentified ar-
tillery, the ministry said.
South Korea called for a cease
fire 45 minutes after the initial gun
shot. The North Koreans stopped
shooting shortly thereafter.
In a report carried by its official
news agency, the North denied its
soldiers crossed the border and ac
cused the South of obstructing "the
routine patrol duty” of its soldiers.
“The people’s army soldiers
were compelled to take self-defen
sive measures under the grave sit
uation,” the North’s Korean Central
News Agency said.
It said soldiers were seriously
injured and outpost buildings de
stroyed, but did not specify how
many soldiers were hurt. The
South Koreans fired some 3,000
shells and bullets, the North Kore
an agency said.
harsh, as well as permissive environments ... and
increasingly in the high-tech realm of cyberspace.”
He noted that his troops “are not designed to
win wars single-handedly, but they can help pre
vent and deter them.” For the next decade, the
nation can expect “operations short of war” to
dominate the nation’s security concerns, he
added, perhaps in an indication of where he will
help steer the military.
He beat out several other candidates for the
post, including NATO Commander Wesley
Clark, Marine Corps Commandant Charles
Krulak and Army Chief of Staff Dennis Reimer.
He would succeed the current chairman, Gen.
John Shalikashvili, who is slated to retire at the
end of September.
Air Force Gen. Joseph Ralston had been the
front-runner for the top post until reports sur
faced of an extramarital affair he had had sever
al years ago.
TUZLA, Bosnia-Herzegovina
(AP) — With foreigners moving
against war crimes fugitives, Bosn
ian Serbs have lashed out with
whatever’s at hand. One U.S. sol
dier was stabbed from behind
with a sickle on Wednesday, and a
grenade exploded near the house
of a U.N. employee — the third
such blast this week.
The stabbing occurred less
than a week after NATO troops
made their first raid to seize Serb
war crimes suspects. It was the
first assault to wound or target a
member of the NATO-led peace
force since last week’s raid on war
crimes suspects in northern
Bosnia.
The tougher Western approach
has stirred Serb anger, particular
ly with Americans. Bombs have
destroyed vehicles and damaged
buildings housing international
officials. Leaflets have threatened
Americans and others.
Early Wednesday, a hand
grenade exploded near the house
of a U.N. employee in Prijedor, the
third blast this week targeting in
ternational officials.
Few details were released of the
attack on the U .S. soldier at a lone
ly outpost in Serb territory. West
ern officials and local Serbs said
the attacker may have been noth
ing more than a foiled thief. U.S.
soldiers said they felt comfortable
with security.
“1 feel more secure here than at
home,” said Staff Sgt. Mark L.
Geiger, 32, of Pittsburgh, “because
here I have 8,500 soldiers who are
ready to help at any time.”
Others said they thought
Bosnia's chaotic traffic k
claimed one American
life this week — was more
danger than politically motiws
violence. There are no evident!
creases in security.
CCI
feel more
secure here than at
home because here
I have 8,500 soldien
who are ready to
help at any time.”
DU
Staff Sgt. Mark L. Geiger|e
Stationed in Bosnia
30 J
I
However, the attack hi
ed just how isolated some of tk
peacekeeping troops are-po
tential targets for angry Serbs.
The ITS. soldier, whowasnot
identified, was part of a liaison
team between the peace force and „ ei
Serb ollicials inVIasenica,35miles Mt
northeast of Sarajevo.
I he team is based in a house. ,
Local Serbs said they thoughtth! ’Oh
attack occurred around 3 am,
when the soldier went out
check on a commotion.
U.S. Army spokesmen inluzla
said he was stabbed from behind
with a sickle, and received
ment for a 2-inch to 3-inch shoul
der wound before being released
oo!|
Svel
|oil
ton I
‘xal
opeti
Conditions in North Komi
blamed on food shortages
BEIJING (AP) — Food shortages
in North Korea have grown so acute
that more than a third of its children
under 6 are malnourished, said an
aid worker who displayed pho
tographs Wednesday of youngsters
with stick-like limbs.
Devastated by two years of flood
ing and poor harvests, the commu
nist country still needs massive for
eign aid to stave off widespread
famine, said Kathi Zellweger, who
had just returned from a North Ko
rean tour for Caritas, a Roman
Catholic aid agency.
“We are moving into a very, very
serious situation if we don’t help
them now,” she said.
Even as the nation teeters on the
brink, North Korea’s own efforts to
get help have been hampered by its
deri
ttieal
ideology of fierce self-reliance audits
mil i tary standoff with South Korea.
The border between the Korea:
flared anew Wednesday in an ex
change of fire each side blamed oi
the other. North Korea said sevei
of its soldiers were wounded; Soul Nwl
Korea reported no injuries. as
The Clinton administration
hoping for what it calls a soft land He c
ing for the communist regime initi Ellis
north. The other option would be bhis
regime dominated by astrongml I mo
tary that might see its only salvatie tons
in acts of conflict. ‘the
Zellweger reported that No: ! groi
Korean officials, desperate o« dRal
the growing food calamity, ha|“Ice
become increasingly flexible
eager for help from foreign
groups.
Get Away for A Taste of Summer!
ART IN THE
^ “REAL WORLD”
A Road Trip to Houston
Thursday, July 24. Leave campus at 1pm. Return to campus by midnight.
FREE transportation and museum admission for A&M students.
$20 for non-students.
Please make checks payable to “MSC Visual Arts Committee.”
On exhibit at the Houston Museum of Fine Arts:
JEWELS OF THE ROMANOVS
Treasures of the Russian Imperial Court
We’ll have dinner at one of Houston’s many fine restaurants. Bring money for dinner!
(We’ll keep it around $10 ea.)
PART-TIME POSITIONS
Sign up IN PERSON by 5pm Monday, July 21 at the MSC Forsyth Center
Galleries (across from the Aggieland Post Office). Space is limited to 36 people.
For more information please call 845-9251.
Memorial Student Center htlp.YAvwwmsc.lamu.edu
Visual Arts Committee http://vac.tamu.edu
<k
If you have special needs please
call in advance at (409) 845-925 I.
Universal Computer Systems, Inc. is looking for candidates for the following positions at
our College Station office. Operating hours of the facility are 6 a.m.-10 p.m., Monday
through Friday and 8 a.m.-10 p.m. Saturday. Candidates must be able to work at least
15 hours Monday-Friday & every other Saturday and have completed at least one
semester of college.
Data Entry - We handle computer repair for all our clients nation-wide, with over 60,000 pieces ol
equipment per year. Our data entry positions are responsible for maintaining info on more than
2,000 parts shipped to & from the facility.
Cleaning and Reclamation - This group must maintain upkeep of all equipment received and
shipped from the facility. Involves disassembly of equipment, cleaning and reassembly
Technician Trainee - Technicians will learn to use an oscilloscope and multi-meter to
trouble-shoot and repair malfunctioning hardware. Each individual will be trained thoroughly in
the repair of one particular piece of equipment including CRT’s, terminals, keyboards, PC’s,
mainframes, controllers, modems, and others.
Parts Inventory - Responsible for maintaining inventory of more than 2,000 parts that the facility ^jl
may handle at any one time. ’
Support Staff - Deal with clients and techs via telephone to provide problem solving and clerical
support. Full time positions also available.
To apply, please call our Recruiting Department. E.O.E.
Universal Computer Systems, Inc.
(409) 846-1213
http://www.ucs-systems.com
DCS hires non-tobacco users only. °trii
The Ba-ttalion’s now offering access to The WIR^
A news service for ttte internet from Ttwe Associated Press
The WIRE provides continuously updated news coverage from one of
e world s oldest, largest news services via The Battalion’s web page
- A comprehensive, up-to-the-minute news
- Headlines and bulletins delivered as soon
IttT .tie, u