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Al-Ahram Weekly 28 Oct. - 3 Nov. 1999 Issue No. 453 
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Published in Cairo by AL-AHRAM established in 1875 |
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Al-Ahram Weekly 28 Oct. - 3 Nov. 1999 Issue No. 453
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| Published in Cairo by AL-AHRAM established in 1875 |
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Egypt Region International Economy Opinion Culture Features Profile Study Special Sports People Time Out Chronicles Cartoons Letters Russian rage
RUSSIAN troops blasted the Chechnyan capital of Grozny with tactical missiles and unleashed a heavy artillery bombardment as Russian President Boris Yeltsin vowed to get rid of "terrorism" in the region, AFP reported.Russian military sources said two missiles were fired in the direction of Grozny from a military base near the north Ossetian city of Mozdok after the capital came under intense heavy artillery bombardment apparently launched by Russian troops controlling the surrounding hilltops. There were no casualty figures available although people at the scene said damage was immense.
Longer vision
THE SENIOR UN humanitarian co-ordinator in Iraq, Hans Von Sponeck, has urged Security Council members to detach discussions on humanitarian relief issues for Iraqi civilians from the more controversial political issues of disarmament.Von Sponeck, who is in charge of the "oil for food" programme, told a news conference in New York on Tuesday that this would be "the first step toward introducing a longer-term vision into the whole issue of how 23 million Iraqis are being treated".
Von Sponeck's remarks have drawn criticism from the US and Britain as other key Security Council members remain deadlocked on how to ease the UN-imposed sanctions in exchange for Iraq allowing arms inspectors back into the country, Reuters reported.
First trip
IRANIAN President Mohamed Khatami arrived in Paris yesterday for a two-day visit -- the first trip by an Iranian head of state to France in the past two decades. Khatami is expected to hold talks with French President Jacques Chirac, as well as with Prime Minister Lionel Jospin. The visit coincided with a US offer for face-to-face, unconditional negotiations between Washington and Tehran. In an exclusive interview with Iran's English-language daily, Iran News, State Department spokesman James Rubin said that the purpose of the proposed dialogue is to establish a "road map of reciprocal steps" towards developing a "normal relationship" between Iran and the US.
