Copyright 2002 St. Louis Post-Dispatch, Inc.  
St. Louis Post-Dispatch (Missouri)
May 1, 2002 Wednesday Five Star Lift Edition
SECTION: NEWS; Nation/World Briefs Column; Pg. A6

LENGTH: 656 words

HEADLINE: NATION/WORLD

BYLINE: From News Services

BODY:
WASHINGTON

Sen. Hatch backs cloning of embryos for research

Sen. Orrin Hatch, R-Utah, announced Tuesday his support for a new bill that would outlaw the creation of cloned human babies but allow the cloning of human embryos for research.

Hatch's decision, which he said he made after "countless hours of study, reflection and, yes, prayer," is a significant setback for those who favor an opposing bill now before the Senate. That bill would ban all aspects of human cloning, including the creation of cloned human embryos.

"I come to this issue with a strong pro-life and pro-family record," Hatch said in a Capitol Hill news briefing that was packed with scores of advocates on both sides of the issue. Research supporters gave the senator a prolonged ovation; opponents stood in stony silence.

WASHINGTON

U.S. charges rebel group in Colombia with murder

The Justice Department announced a murder indictment Tuesday against a Colombian rebel group and six of its members in the deaths of three Americans.

Attorney General John Ashcroft said members of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia, known as FARC, kidnapped the Americans in February 1999 as they worked with Indians in northeastern Colombia. Days later, the kidnappers shot them to death, Ashcroft said.

Ashcroft said the three "went to Colombia to do good and instead were met with great evil."

Ashcroft and the Justice Department have increasingly pursued the world's largest drug traffickers as another way to stem the flow of cash and weapons to terrorists. FARC has been frequently implicated in cocaine running that affects the United States, U.S. officials have said.

WASHINGTON

Corps of Engineers will hold up 150 projects

The Army Corps of Engineers said Tuesday it would halt work on 150 proposed projects to see whether they were economically feasible. The corps has been under fire from lawmakers and environmental groups for funding wasteful and environmentally damaging projects.

The corps said it would reassess all projects that were approved prior to 1999, before work began on them. New studies also would be required for projects affected by changed economic, scientific or environmental conditions.

ST. PAUL, Minn.

In budget fight, Ventura closes governor's mansion

Gov. Jesse Ventura shut down the governor's mansion Tuesday, laid off most of the staff and declared it unavailable for all but limited official functions.

The former pro wrestler blamed a budget dispute for the move, saying state lawmakers left him no choice but to close the 20-room English Tudor residence when they cut his spending and reduced his security budget.

"I don't know how they can possibly force me to keep it open without the funding," Ventura said. Lawmakers said they may seek an injunction to force the mansion to reopen. Ventura and his wife spend most nights at their horse ranch in suburban Maple Grove.

WASHINGTON

U.S. is warm to offer of talks with North Korea

The White House signaled Tuesday it will accept a North Korean offer to hold security talks with Pyongyang for the first time in 18 months.

"We anticipate these talks will begin," said White House press secretary Ari Fleischer.

President George W. Bush had proposed talks without preconditions "to address a broad range of the United States' concerns with regard to North Korea's missile program and exports" and other security issues, Fleischer said.

DALLAS

Man gets death sentence for killing his daughters

Rejecting pleas of mental illness, a jury sentenced a man to death Tuesday for the shooting deaths of his two young daughters. The same jury last week convicted John Battaglia of capital murder for killing the girls, ages 6 and 9, last May while his ex-wife listened helplessly on the telephone.

The girls' mother, Mary Jean Pearle, told Battaglia in court Tuesday, "I would like to say the next time you see me is when they put the needle in your arm."

LOAD-DATE: May 1, 2002