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Show A4 The Salt Lake Tribune NATIONFriday, February14,1997 FBI Lab Errors MayAffect 50 Prosecutions, Feds Say @ Developments Timothy McVeigh’s sister said at a Christmas party before the Oklaho- THE ASSOCIATED PRESS havesaid, speaking on condition WASHINGTON — The Justice Department has advised50prose. of anonymity Gorelick suggested the number governments, that FBI lab prob lemscould affect their cases. And Deputy court documents. A police officer who Wehave, over the course of was photographed carrying the limp body of a 50 prosecutors. ofissues relatingtotheir cases that they should consider with regardtotheir disclosure obligations,” Gorelick of the bombed-out OklahomaCity federal build- this investigation, informed about Atty. Gen. Jamie Gorelick said Thursday “In each of the cases and her brother would play a role, according to of affected prosecutions cco grow after work is completed on the draft report cutors, half in state and local that figure might grow, ma City bombing that a “revolution” was coming there could be an issue raised by de fense counsel,” Gorelick told a news conference. “We'rejust go- baby from the wreckage ing has retired, but he said. “Ongoing review might increase that number. says he can’t escape his traumatic memories of one can say whether lab errors close to attorneys any evidence that might clear their clients awayfromit, becauseif I talk about it or think But a lawyer for the whistle. blower who first made allegations whochairs a subcommittee overseeing the FBI, wrote Atty. Gen ing to have to see how each court Prosecuto reacts to each separate fact pat- tern that’s presented” beforeany- requiredto dis- that day. Sen. Charles Grassley, R-lowa, will harm the prosecutions aboutlab errors said Gorelick was Janet Reno that Gorelick’s state- minimizing the problem ment “is at odds with” an asser- about it, I get upset,” said Sgt. Jon Avera, 48. tion by Deputy FBI Director Wel- “Thefigure of 50 is considerably understated. Webelieve when don Kennedy on Jan. 28 that lab problems won't compromise “any present or future prosecu- finished it will be well over 1,000 cases,” said Stephen Kohn, attor-. ney for FBI scientist-agent lrederic Whitehurst Whitehurst, who triggered an investigation of the lab by the Jus Inlight of Gorelick’sstateGrassley said, Kennedy's remarks “give the appearanceof misleading the public and a Unit tice inspector general, has edStates senator.” chargedthat parts of the lab are sked Reno to review whether Kennedy's remarks contaminated, that supervisors lack adequate scientific training and that lab reports andtestimo were consistent withthe facts.” Three FBI supervisors have ny have been biased in favor of been transferred out of the lab as A still-secret draft report bythe inspector general Whitehurst was suspended with pay after refusing to cooperate supports some with a separateinquiry into leaks but notall of his charges, officials of his allegations. Federal prosecutors preparing for thetrial of Timothy McVeigh for the 1995 Oklahoma City federal building bombing have replacedone of the transferred lab supervisors, Dave Williams, with another expert witness from the lab as a result of the draft report Earlierthis week, federal pros- ecutors in Seattle dropped one count of possessing a destructive device against a member of the separatist Freeman group after an FBI lab technician testified that a detonator had been mistak- a result of the draft report prosecutors. “I'll never be enly listed in an FBI report as partof the apparatus. AIDSPanel: Behavior Programs Work ‘THE ASSOCIATED PRESS WASHINGTON — Clean-needle exchanges,safesex education and drug-abuse treatment are powerful weapons against the AIDS epidemic, but their effectiveness is being blocked by moral and government objections, a panel of experts concluded Thursday. The committeeselected by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) cited strong scientific evidence that members said prove the effectiveness of behayior-modification programs in slowing the AIDS epidemic. David Reiss of George Washington University Medical Center, head of the study committee, said strong scientific evidencebears out that programs of safe-sex education and clean-needle exchanges ‘“‘are veryeffective means to prevent the spread of HIV [the virus that causes AIDS] infection into the most susceptible populations.” “I completely reject this,” said Robert Maginnis, senior policy analyst for the Family Research Council. He said evidence of how well needle exchanges and safe-sex programs work remains inconclusive and often involves “faulty science.” Thereport also was condemned by Rep. Tom Co- burn, R-Okla., who called the NIH committee “poorly informed.” Reiss and his committee proposed an immediate change of regulations banning federal support of clean-needle exchange programs. In its report, the NIH committee found that clean- needle exchange programs in New Haven, Conn., and in Amsterdam did not lead to increased drug use, encourage youngpeople to start using drugs or cause moreneedles to be discarded in publicplaces Such programsdid reduce — by 80 percent — the amount of needle sharing among drvg users, the committee found, leading to an estimated 30 percent reduction in new HIV infections About 100 needle-exchange programsareactive in the United States, compared with 2,000 in Australia, a country with only one-tenth the U.S. popula- tion, the report said. In Australian areas with population profiles similar to the UnitedStates, the rate of HIV infection is far lower than in the United States, the report said. In cities where there are vigorous clean-needle exchange programs, such as Tacoma, Wash.; Toron- of HIV to; Sydney; and Glasgow, Scotland, the rate infection has remainedlow, the study found. his The Family Research Council’s Maginnis said studies show a needle-exchange program in Connectieut did lead to increased drug abuse, to moredis- carded needles andto rise in petty crime. A federal welfare law that permits only the teach- inence in sex education also should be is. “It is not consistent with the scientific findings’ of effective teaching tools for young people on how to avoid an AIDS-virus infection, he said. Hesaid safe-sex education, which canincluderecommending using condomsandlimiting partners, is the mosteffective way to reduce the sexualspread of AIDS. A program amonginner-city women, the re- port said, led to doubled use of condoms. And a study in Tanzania showeda 50 percent drop in HIV ad among young women after a condom-distribution program began. The rate of HIV infections dropped among women in Rwanda and among sex workers in Bombay and Thailand after programsof safe-sex counseling, the reportsaid. Five studies among adolescents in innercity American schoois showed that risky sexual be- havior was reducedafter safe-sex education. Maginnis said pushing condomuse is ‘like playing Russian roulette” because, he said, many condoms fail. ‘Abstinenceis the only effective way of keeping people from contracting HIV,” Maginnis said. Coburn said that a condom-distribution program in Ugandawassucha failurethat it was abandoned. “Thailand, which has relied upon condoms, now has an HIV infection rate in excess of 15 percent among young heterosexuals in rural areas,” said Co- burn. orYowLove... OUR ENTIRE FINE JEWELRY INVENTORY 0% oft sae he Ruby and gold heart pendant and chain Reg, $440.91 ct IW ruby, 14k gold pendant and chain, $176 plus no interest for 1 year* Gold heart pendant and chain Reg. $2245 1 ct. 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