January 30, 1998 All Things Considered (entire program) Requires the RealAudio Player

An index of the day's stories:

RUSSIA -- NPR's Andy Bowers reports from Moscow that Russian objections to US military intervention in Iraq are both economic and political. Russia, once a player in the Middle East, wants to reassert an independent foreign policy there... and Iraq, to which Russia was a long-time arms supplier, has given them a foot in the door. Beyond that, Russia would like to see the UN sanctions lifted in Iraq so it could begin reclaiming the billions of dollars Iraq still owes Moscow for arms. (4:00)

FRANCE -- Robert talks with Francois Bujon de L'Estang, the French Ambassador to the United States. They discuss France's position on the Iraqi crisis. After meeting with Secretary of State Madeleine Albright last night, French Foreign Minister Hubert Vedrine said that "all options" must remain open to resolve the weapons inspection stalemate with Iraq. Bujon emphasizes that France hopes that diplomatic efforts will lead to a resolution, and that he has serious reservations about using military force. (6:30)

TET OFFENSIVE -- Robert talks with Stanley Karnow, the author of "Vietnam: A History." Karnow was the chief correspondent in the PBS series "Vietnam: A Television History" and was present in Vietnam in 1959, when the first Americans were killed in the region. He covered the war until it ended. Karnow talks about the Tet Offensive during the Vietnam War. It was on this day in 1968 that the Viet Cong launched an attack on South Vietnam, on the Vietnamese Tet holiday. Though the U-S and South Vietnamese forces suffered far fewer casualties than the North Vietnamese, the fact that the attack occurred at all...as American advisors and military analysts had claimed that the resources for such a well-orchestrated attack no longer existed...deeply disillusioned the American public and the war never again enjoyed wide support in the U-S. (8:00)

EVIDENCE AND MATERIALITY -- Linda talks with Paul Butler, a professor at George Washington University Law School, and teaches criminal law. He was a federal prosecutor specializing in public corruption, including perjury. They discuss the arguments about whether yesterday's ruling by Judge Susan Webber Wright...which effectively barred the admission of evidence from the Monica Lewinsky matter into the Paula Jones sexual harassment case...will stop the prosecution of Lewinsky or potentially even President Clinton on charges of perjury. (4:30)

HILL FX -- While there is a palpable sense of unease on Capitol Hill, congressional Democrats and Republicans are pressing on with business despite the questions hanging over President Clinton's head. Republicans sense an opening, but are keeping their distance from speculation about the scandal. Democrats worry that the Lewinsky scandal may become a distraction if it isn't resolved quickly. NPR's Elizabeth Arnold reports. (4:30)

FREE TO GO -- Commentator Jennifer Davidson talks about her friend Paul, who died a few years ago of AIDS. She describes how he was such a good son that he even waited for his mother to tell him he was "free to go" before he died. (3:30)

COMMERCE.DOMAIN.NAMES -- NPR's Christopher Joyce reports on a proposal from the Commerce Department to turn over some of the most lucrative parts of the Internet business to private groups. The government now wants a non-profit corporation to hand out the Internet addresses that all web-sites need, a job that has been done by a single government-picked company until now. Internet users may also soon see new types of Internet addresses designed to clear up congestion on the rapidly growing Net. (3:30)

FOUR DAYS IN SEPTEMBER -- Movie critic Bob Mondello reviews the Brazilian film "Four Days In September," which deals with the 1969 kidnapping of the U.S. Ambassador to that country. Mondello says the film is remarkably evenhanded.

IMF ON HILL -- The Secretary of the Treasury, the Secretary of Defense and the Chairman of the Federal Reserve all went to Capitol Hill today to voice support for the IMF's economic rescue plans in Asia and to urge Congress to replenish the IMF's coffers. The IMF has enough reserves to cover the commitments it has made so far, but is worried that it will need more money if the problems in Asia spread to other developing nations. NPR's John Ydstie reports. (4:00)

LAURA SEZ... -- Laura D'Andrea Tyson, the former head of the Council of Economic Advisors, says that the Asian financial crisis is very grave, but the world is in better shape now to deal with a major depression than it was in 1929. She says that the International Monetary Fund needs support from Congress to do its work...and that means most of all that the fund needs an infusion of cash. (3:00)

DAVOS -- NPR's Michael Shuster reports from the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, that the central topic of discussion has been the Asian economic crisis. International bankers, businesmen, statesmen put the Asian economy forward as their first item of business for their weeklong meeting in the Alps. The bottom line of the discussions was that the efforts to stabilize the situation in places such as Korea and Indonesia seem to be working, but the problems will not be quickly solved. (4:00)

MEDICARE -- NPR's Patricia Neighmond looks at President Clinton's plan to expand Medicare to early retirees -- people aged between 55 and 65. About 3 million people in this age group are uninsured -- but experts say only 300 thousand would be able to afford the premium - now estimated between 300 and 400 dollars a month. (7:00)

OPENING TO IRAN? -- NPR's Ted Clark reports that the Clinton Administration has followed up with Iranian President Khatami's cautious overtures to Washington, with a veiled positive response of its own. In an end of the Holy Month of Ramadan message to the Moslem world this week, President Clinton openly spoke of differences with Iran being bridgeable and his hopes that more exchanges between Iran and Washington might "soon" bring about good relations between the two nations. (5:00)

SPY -- Robert talks with "Edward Shirley," who has written an article for the current issue of Atlantic Monthly. "Shirley," who is writing under a pseudonym, is a former CIA officer who was based in Europe and the Middle East. The two discuss "Shirley's" critique of the CIA's Directorate of Operations. (6:00)

CODE TALKER OBIT -- Carl Gorman -- one of the Navajo Code Talkers of World War Two -- died this week, of cancer, at the age of 90. The Code Talkers played an instrumental role in the U-S efforts in the Pacific theatre of World War Two...we'll hear about what they did in this remembrance of Gorman's role with the Code Talkers. (1:45)

OPEN SKIES -- U.S. and Japanese negotiators have reached an agreement on a deal that will allow expanded competition among airlines serving cities in the two countries. The agreement will expand a market now estimated at $10 billion, involving nearly 12 million passengers and more than 1 billion pounds of cargo. NPR's Jim Zarroli reports. (1:30)

A GIRL NEEDS CASH -- Linda talks with Joan A. Perry, the author of "A Girl Needs Cash: Banish the White Knight Myth and Take Charge of Your Financial Life." They discuss how the attitudes of women toward money are often based upon myths, which keep them from making intelligent investment decisions for securing their futures. (NOTE: "A Girl Needs Cash" is published by Times Books.)