September 2, 1996

Bob Dole, notoriously undisciplined as campaigner, says he will 'keep pounding the mesage' on his tax plan and getting tough with crime; interview; photos; says there will little evidence of platform pushed through by social conservatives, although he is personally opposed to abortion; will appeal to women with talk about assault weapons, 'particularly in England,' and anti-drug effort; relies on Jack Kemp to reach out to minorities and shrugs off suggestion that strong economy will undermine his message (M)

UN suspends plan to allow Iraq to sell oil to buy food and medicine as US vows to punish Saddam Hussein for military thrust against Kurds in north; US aircraft carrier and warships move northward in Persian Gulf; White House declines to specify what action will be taken; Iraq apparently expands attack, shelling at least one city, despite initial promise to withdraw from Erbil; reportedly allies with Kurdistan Democratic Party against rival Patriotic Union; photos; map; Pres Clinton confers with allies (M)

Seven people, including four children, drown in John D Long Lake in Union, South Carolina, at spot where Susan Smith drowned her two young sons in 1994; group had driven over at night to look at memorial to Smith children; several people got out, leaving Tim Phillips at the wheel with motor on and children inside; vehicle rolled down ramp into 15 feet of water; children's mother and second adult drown trying to save victims; Sheriff Howard Wells says deaths appear accidental, but there is no sign that driver tried to stop; photo (S)

Summary of major news stories on inside pages

Increasing number of companies, no longer satisfied with traditional job interviews, are making applicants for white-collar jobs run gantlet of paper-and-pencil tests, exercises in decision-making and role-playing and even interviews by psychologists; aim is to grade upper-echelon candidates on intangible qualities such as creativity, flexibility, leadership and ability to function under pressure; background is that about 35% of recently hired senior executives are judged failure by company heads, and huge cost of training managers; typical tests outlined; samples (M)