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Volume XXXI
Number 48
Committed to Cultural Diversity
Established in 1970
www.portlandobserver.com
Wednesday
December 19, 2001
50e
Sharing the Magic of Christmas Oregon
Linked to
9-11 Terror
Attacks
Senator says perpetrators
of terrorism find aid and
comfort here
Peacekeepers in Place Soon
LO NDON — The first international
peacekeeping troops could be in A f­
ghanistan by the end o f the week. O f­
ficials said the lead elem ents o f a stabi­
lization force were expected to be in
place by Dec. 22 when an interim admin­
istration is scheduled to take power.
India Blames Pakistan for
Parliament Attack
NEW DELHI, India— India’s govern-
arent accused Pakistan o f trying to wipe
out the Indian leadership by sponsor­
ing the terrorist attack on Parliament.
Home Minister Lal K. Advani called it
the “m ost alarming act o f terrorism in
the history o f tw o decades o f Pakistan-
sponsored terrorism.’’
USA's Largest Cathedral Burned
NEW YORK — Fire broke out at the
historic Cathedral o f S t John the D i­
vine, with flames shooting from the
Episcopal church that has been under
construction for more than a century.
Fire officials said they expected w ide­
spread sm oke and water damage.
Tax Cats Hinder Stimulus Plan
V.’A S in i JGTDN —- Progress on tax cuts
and help for the unemployed has foun­
dered in Congress because o f fallout
from last spring's tax cuts. T o D em o­
crats w ho opposed the previous cuts,
granting President Bush more o f the
same poses even greater risks to the
governm ent’s financial stability.
Kaylea Mazurek (left) and Egbevado Ananouko (right) were among the many deserving kids sharing a day with Santa
Claus at the sixth annual Holiday Bike Drive at legacy Emanuel Hospital Sunday. The Community Cycling Center on
Northeast Alberta sponsored the bike drive, with volunteers restoring donated bikes and giving them to 1,000
underprivileged kids in the Portland area.
photo by M ark W ashington /T he P ortland O bserver
Retail Salas Plunga
W ASHINGTON— Retail sales plunged
a record3.7% inN ovem ber as consum ­
ers, buffeted by huge job losses, terror­
ist attacks and a recession, got the
holiday sales season o ff to a dismal
start. The record drop in retail sales
follow ed a 6.4% surge in October, also
a record.
Consortium Gets
Interstate-Max Work
Israel Cuts Ties with Arafat
GA ZA CITY, Gaza Strip— Israel sev ­
ered all contact with Yasser Arafat,
launching airstrikes and sending troops
to Palestinian towns after a bus am ­
bush dial killed 10 Israelis. The new
strikes today killed one man and injured
<0 in Gaza.
Airport
Max Moves
Holiday
Travelers
U £ to VoM 1972 Nuke Treaty
W ASHINGTON— PresidentBushwiU
soon give Russia notice that the United
States is withdrawing from the 1972
nuclear treaty that bans testing o f m is­
sile defense systems, U.S. officials said.
Bush has said the Sept. 11 terrorist
attacks have heightened the need for
m issile defense.
Dozens of Workers at Salt Lako
1-----<-Ji
W ipo n ArTVSiM
Trl-Met General Manager Fred Hansen is honored by the Northeast Urban
Trucking Consortium for his efforts to include minority firms In Interstate
MAX light rail construction. Hansen was presented the award from James
Posey (left), a member of the trucking group that is working on the
Interstate MAX project. Tri-Met was recognized for exceeding Its goal of 16
percent involvement from disadvantaged business enterprises.
S A L T L A K E d T Y — Dozens o f airport
workers were arrested and charged by
prosecutors with using false informa­
tion to get jobs at Salt Lake Interna­
tional Airport. Federal attorney Paul
Warner said there were no known links
to terrorism, but called the indictments
important to U .S. security.
1
OHSU Nurses Go On Strike
Subs brought in on charter buses to keep hospital open
(AP) - Nurses walked off the job at
Oregon Health & Sciences University on
Monday morning.
The 1,500 registered nurses at the Port­
land hospital - which also houses the
state's only medical school - went on
strike after a majority of nurses voted to
reject OH SU ’s latest contract offer.
The hospital ’ s nursing director said the
hospital will continue running at full ca­
pacity, with replacement nurses filling all
positions. “Our mission is unchanged.’’
said Bonnie Driggers. “Our mission is to
care for our patients here at the hospital
I
ft
and continue our research activities.”
The substitute nurses began arriving
over the weekend on charter buses. They
have come from several states as well as
the Portland area, all are licensed to work
in Oregon and meet OHSU standards,
Driggers said.
After negotiations with a state media­
tor broke down, members of the nurses'
union on Saturday night overwhelmingly
rejected what Driggers called O H SU 's fi­
nal offer.
continued
V
on page A3
The new Airport Max light rail train has
turned into a popular choice for getting
to the airport.
Area residents are finding Tri-M et's
Airport MAX line a convenient way to get
to and from Portland International Airport
during the December holiday season.
The Airport MAX Red Line is the West
C oast’s first train to the plane, running
every 15 minutes, every day, from 5 a.m.
until the last train leaves the airport at 11:30
p.m.
Commuters are finding the transporta­
tion fast, convenient and inexpensive -
taking 38 minutes from downtown Port­
land and stopping 150 feet from the airport's
baggage claim. The trip costs $1.55 each
way.
Quick drop sites are located at MAX
stations on Northeast 82nd Avenue, Lloyd
Center/Northeast 11* Avenue, Old Town/
Chinatown, Galleria, Gateway Transit Cen­
ter and the Parkrose/SumnerTransitCenter.
Ticket vending machines are located in
the airport lobby and at all MAX stations.
A Trip-Planning Kiosk in the airport lobby
also helps with transit connections.
(AP) - Classified information indicates
there are people linked to the Sept. 11
terror attacks in Oregon, said U.S. Sen.
Gordon Smith. It is the first time such a
connection has been publicly made by a
high-ranking official.
“I can’t tell you classified things, but
I can tell you we have a problem present
in Oregon,” the Republican said in a
Monday interview.
“I don’t have any reason to believe
that somebody’s going to pull the trig­
ger in Oregon,” Smith said.
“But,” he added, “I have reason to
believe that there are some finding aid
and comfort here in the state o f Oregon
who have been a party to terrorist activi­
ties that found ultimate expression in
New YorkCity.”
Pressed for details, he said, “I better
not go any farther.”
The FBI, Gov. John Kitzhaber's office
and the state Attorney G eneral’s office
refused to discuss specifics of O regon’s
role in the nationwide anti-terror inves­
tigation.
Previously, no one of authority has
pubiicly drawn a direct connection be­
tween the terror attacks and potential
suspects in Oregon. O f the 1,200 people
who have been arrested or detained
across the nation since the attacks, none
are held in Oregon.
Beth Anne Steele, the FBI’s spokes­
woman in Oregon, said “We know of no
direct threats in Oregon.”
The FBI has said publicly that “there
is certainly an infrastructure for terror­
ists located throughout the country, par­
ticularly in terms of fund-raising,” Steele
said.
But she would not say whether that
infrastructure is thought to have ex­
tended into this state.
“Anything specific on Oregon, w e’re
not going to get into,” she said.
Smith spoke about the investigation
into the Sept. 11 attacks while comment­
ing on Portland's rejection o f the U.S.
Justice Department’s request to partici­
pate in the nationwide interviewing of
about 5,000 foreign men.
Portland said its police officers might
be violating state law by posing the
questions the Justice Department wants
answered.
Smith said he didn't want to criticize
Portland city officials.
He added, “I do not underestimate the
terrorist threat, even in Oregon. W hile
we have the right to object (to the inter­
views), we have the duty to work it Out
b e c a u se p u b lic sa fe ty is in the
crosshairs.”
“I’d have to tell you something clas­
sified, so I can’t. But I don’t want you to
think this (the interviewing) is idly done."
he said.
“A crime has been com m itted in
America’s neighborhood, and there may
be people here who wish to harm Ameri­
cans, Oregonians and otherwise,” he said.
“1 want some people apprehended. I
want every part of law enforcement to
work cooperatively within the bounds of
our constitution to make sure that dan­
gerous people are no longer given safe
harbor in our country,” Smith said.
Smith spokesman Kerry Tymchuk
said the senator has “no information” on
why authorities haven’t detained the
people he's talking about.
Bob A p p leg ate, sp o k esm an fo r
Kitzhaber, said he had no knowledge o f
the information cited by Smith.
"This is completely out o f the blue,”
Applegate said. “And even if we knew
something about it, we wouldn’t be able
to discuss it with you.”
t