Reno undecided on appointing counsel Attorney General Janet Reno said today she has not decided whetherto seek an independent counsel to investigate telephone fund-raisingby President Clinton and Vice President Al Gore. Republicanspredicted she would not. Leaving a World AIDS Day ceremony at theJustice Department, Reno was asked if she had reached decisions onany independent counsel matters. ``No, not yet,'' she replied. ``Ithink it probably will be'' Tuesday before a decision is reached, sheadded. Tuesday is the deadline for her to inform a special court ofher decisions. Reno met for 2 1/2 hours Sunday with top aides andleaders of her campaign finance task force, who have recommended shedecline to seek independent counsels to probe Clinton and Gore orformer Energy Secretary Hazel O'Leary. Aides indicated that, as isher practice at pre-decision meetings, Reno asked questions butdidn't volunteer her thinking. Nevertheless, Reno's aidesanticipated she would follow the recommendation of her task force.Gore has acknowledged making telephone calls from the White House tosolicit contributions for the 1996 election campaign. Clinton hassaid he may have made calls but doesn't recall having done so.Killer: Winnie Mandela ordered hitWinnie Madikizela-Mandela ordered the political killing of a Sowetodoctor and offered $8,000 in payment, one of two men convicted in theslaying testified today. Cyril Mbatha's testimony before the Truthand Reconciliation Commission represented one of the strongestaccusations so far of Madikizela-Mandela's alleged involvement in theJan. 27, 1989, shooting death of Dr. Abu-Baker Asvat. According toMbatha, Madikizela-Mandela described Asvat as a ``certain male whowas disturbing her in her political work and she wanted people toremove him. Mrs. Mandela said if we killed Dr. Asvat . . . not onlywill we get money for the job, but we will be doing it for the causeof our country.'' The Truth Commission is investigating allegationsthat Madikizela-Mandela and her bodyguards beat, raped and murderedresidents of the black township of Soweto in the late 1980s, when herformer husband Nelson Mandela was a prisoner of the apartheidgovernment.Panel urges modernization of militaryThe Pentagon must move faster to prepare for the likely securitychallenges of the 21st century by closing military bases sooner andputting more emphasis on experimentation, a panel of private expertsurged Defense Secretary William Cohen today. ``Unless we are willingto pursue a new course, we are likely to have forces that areill-suited to protect our security 20 years in the future,'' thecongressionally chartered National Defense Panel said in a report. Akey conclusion of the 94-page report, is that the Pentagon shouldmove away from its assumption that the armed forces must be able tofight two major regional wars at the same time. This two-warstrategy is still relevant to planning for the 1990s, the panel said,but it is becoming an obstacle to long-term change. It has become ameans of justifying existing force levels, ``especially for thosesearching for the certainties of the Cold War era,'' it said. Thereport did not recommend any specific troop reductions but said Cohenwas right to press Congress for further reductions in military bases.
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