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Politics : Al Gore vs George Bush: the moderate's perspective -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: TimF who wrote (3198)	10/19/2000 5:14:04 PM
From: Selectric II	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 10042

Gore's Russian Relations Examined Updated 4:59 PM ET October 19, 2000 By JOHN HUGHES, Associated Press Writer WASHINGTON (AP) - The Clinton administration is refusing to cooperate with a Senate investigation into a reported 1995 arms deal with Russia and might face subpoenas if the resistance continues, a member of the Foreign Relations Committee said Thursday. Sen. Gordon Smith, R-Ore., said the committee will hold hearings Tuesday to determine whether the understanding between Vice President Al Gore and then-Prime Minister Viktor Chernomyrdin of Russia is legal. White House Press Secretary Jake Siewert denied the administration was involved in a "secret agreement" with the Russians and said the Senate hearings are meant to embarrass Gore, the Democrats' presidential candidate. The New York Times reported last week that Gore promised the United States would not interfere with Moscow's fulfillment of existing sales contracts for conventional arms to Iran on condition such sales would end by the end of 1999. The report said Washington agreed not to penalize Moscow under a 1992 law banning arms sales to countries the United States views as exporters of terrorism. At a news conference, Smith said the White House has refused Republican senators' requests for documents related to the deal, which Smith said may have to be subpoenaed for the hearing. "We are bringing young men and women home in body bags right now," Smith said, referring to 17 sailors killed in the terrorist bombing of the USS Cole in Yemen. "We should not be aiding and abetting those who would do us harm. That may have happened here." Gore and Chernomyrdin mentioned an arms agreement in general terms at a news conference the day it was signed, but details have not been disclosed. Russia continues to sell arms to Iran over protests of the Clinton administration. Sen. Sam Brownback, R-Kan., who joined Smith at a news conference, said Gore lacked authority to ignore the 1992 law without Congress' permission. "I think it's completely illegal what they did in several of these instances here," Brownback said. The White House's Siewert denied wrongdoing involving agreements between Gore and Chernomyrdin. "We distributed a fact sheet to reporters on the ground at the time in 1995," he said. "We also briefed the House International Relations Committee at the time. So if members of Congress have some problem with their briefings, they ought to look to themselves." Siewert said, "There's no doubt that some of these hearings right now are more about the election season than about the real substance here." Smith said the timing of Tuesday's hearing is not politically motivated. "Frankly, I don't think The New York Times is working for the Bush campaign," the Oregon senator said. "They're the ones that broke the story." --- On the Net: Senate Foreign

To: TimF who wrote (3198)	10/19/2000 7:01:25 PM
From: American Spirit	Read Replies (3) \| Respond to of 10042

You aren't serious stating the New York Times is a biased newspaper. They are serious journalists who pretend both sides of every story. Perhaps they endorse more Democrats but they are hardly prejudiced. Which more than we can say about the New York Post which has fewer scruples. And the Washington Times isn't even in the same league as the Post. Way below in terms of journalistic ethics. I didn't even think anhy serious-minded people read the Washington Times.